Plant-Based Gold Leaching: Botanical Alternatives to Mercury and Cyanide
Botanical Alternatives: Toward Safer, Evidence-Based Gold Recovery
Publication preprint Research Gate February 2026, DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.19442.77769
This article examines botanical alternatives to mercury-based gold recovery in artisanal mining systems.
The continued use of mercury, a potent neurotoxin in artisanal and small-scale gold mining remains one of the most persistent environmental and public-health challenges associated with mineral extraction. Despite decades of awareness, mercury amalgamation persists due to its simplicity, low cost, and accessibility, particularly in low-resource mining contexts.
Recent research has explored botanical and plant-derived chemical systems as potential low-toxicity alternatives for gold mobilization and recovery. When evaluated through solution chemistry and controlled processing frameworks, these approaches offer a scientifically grounded pathway toward reducing mercury dependence while maintaining practical viability.
Full references and supporting research are provided in the complete article, Botanical Alternatives: Toward Safer, Evidence-Based Gold Recovery accessed here:👉 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.19442.77769
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