PROJECT: MOVABLE LOCAL SLUICING DESIGN, INTRODUCING ANTI-
MERCURY REAGENT AS ALTERNATIVE OF MERCURY IN GOLD RECOVERY TO
SMALL SCALE MINING
Small scale mining in Tanzania involve the processing the gold by sluicing gravity concentration
and Panning it by using mercury (mercury Amalgamation). Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold
Mining (ASGM) has been practiced these methods of gold recovery in Tanzania for more than 100
years. It continues to grow with significant contribution to income, employment, local and national
economy. The estimated number of people engaging in ASGM activities is about 1.2 million
people (about 3% of the total national population), constituting about 40-60% of mining labour
force in the country and supporting indirectly about 7.2 million.
However, small-scale mining is associated with the use of Mercury amalgamation as the way of
Gold recovery. The use of mercury for gold extraction results to polluting the environments and
serious health hazards for the miners themselves and population in the proximity of small scale
gold mining settlement. Large amounts of mercury transferred to the environment from small scale
gold mining activities in Tanzania. Mercury has been used due to its ability to form amalgams with
gold. Although mercury is used for extracting gold, it tends to affect both the human health and
the surrounding environment during gold extraction. Moreover, it causes effects to human health
by damaging the kidney and results in environmental problem such as the reduction of micro-
biological activity
Tanzania being a signatory to Minamata Convention and having significant ASGM activities is
obliged to develop and implement NAP for ASGM. The National Action Plan (NAP) on ASGM
(2019-2024) aims to reduce by 30% the use of mercury where feasible to eliminate the use of
mercury.
Problem Statement
a) There have been increasingly widespread and haphazard use of the toxic mercury in gold
recovery which need to be reduced whereas feasible to be eliminated it.
b) There is a low gold recovery to the small scale due to poor sluicing design used, it need to design
a movable sluicing with high gold recovery this will increase government revenues from mining
sector
c) Environmental, health and occupation risk to the miners and society around this need to
implement a new alternative to mercury which will help to reduce, whereas feasible to eliminate
those effects resulted from Mercury Amalgamation.
d) The low number of investors to the small scale mining, it needs to create a safe working
environment by reducing the effect resulted from mercury Amalgamation so as to motivate the
large investors to the small scale mining.
e) Moreover, low knowledge to small scale miners on improving the gold recovery due to low
fraction of professional employed in small scale mining sector.
f) This project aims to solving challenges facing small scale mining by implementing the movable
sluicing, carpet and pan with high gold recovery also introducing anti-mercury reagent as an
alternative to mercury in recovery of gold.
Objectives
i. General Objective
The general objective is to design a movable sluicing, carpet, pan and to introduce Anti-mercury
reagent as an alternative of mercury in gold recovery to the small scale mining
ii. Specific Objectives of the Project
1) To design and implement a movable local sluicing, carpet and pans with high rate of gold
trapping so as to increase the gold recovery to the small scale mining.
2) To introduce Anti-mercury reagent as an alternative of mercury in gold recovery to the small
scale mining
Target market
In Tanzania currently small scale mining is more promoted by government, hence there is high
need of come up with developed technology which will help small scale miners to recover high
amount of gold in safe environment. Also Government through VPO (Minamata) create policy of
reducing the use of mercury from small scale mining. Then introducing alternative technology will
be with high market.
Significances of the project
Policy briefs
Create safe working environment to Small Scale Mining
Increase gold recovery
Short course or training to small scale mine safety, environmental consideration, chemical
handling and best practice of gold recovery to the small scale mining.
A module in Mining and Mineral processing at Universities related with small scale mining
Create employment to both SSM and academicians also create room for investors to invest
in Small Scale Mining
Create connections between investors (stakeholders) and small scale miners
Budget for the project
Project implementation total budget depends with the following factors
i. Amount of movable sluicing to be supplied to the small scale mining
ii. Area to be covered (target number of small scale miners)
iii. Amount of Anti-mercury reagent to be produced and supplied to small scale mining
Request from MeTL Group
In fact, this project need more stakeholder (investors) to produce and supply the service such as
produce and supply Anti-mercury reagent, carpet, movable sluicing and pans then I request your
company to invest in this project
Eng. Elick Stephano
0692112446
elickstephano@[Link]
