Why is mercury amalgamation hazardous to workers and the environment?

Mercury amalgamation is hazardous to both workers and the environment due to the inherent toxicity of mercury, a liquid metal that can cause severe health complications and ecological damage.123

Risks to Workers

Workers are primarily at risk through the inhalation of mercury vapours, which are released during the heating of amalgam in retorts to recover gold. Chronic exposure to these vapours, dusts, or skin absorption of mercury compounds can lead to mercury poisoning. Symptoms of such poisoning include tremors, personality changes, inflammation of the mouth, and damage to the kidneys and central nervous system.123

Environmental Impact

The process poses significant environmental threats when mercury is released into the air or water as effluent waste. Once in the environment, mercury can be converted by bacteria into organic mercurials, which accumulate in aquatic life. This bioaccumulation poses a severe risk to human health, as seen in cases like Minamata disease, where contaminated fish and shellfish caused widespread neurological damage. Because of these profound ethical and safety concerns, the use of mercury in gold recovery is increasingly limited by strict pollution control regulations and the requirement for specialized, sealed equipment.312