Mercury Free Mining (MFM) will be field testing new equipment called GOLDROP in Ghana, which, it is believed, will help curtail mercury impact on the environment.

According to estimates, many artisanal gold miners in developing countries pan for gold using mercury and, in the process, release large quantities of the toxic metal into the environment every day, the NGO stated in a press release. “Mercury pollution is increasing around the world and is devastating to the physiological and neurological development of unborn children and infants,” MFM said. “Now there is hope that a safe, new technology can end this horror.”

MFM  has been invited by the Ghana National Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners Association (GNASSM) “to coordinate scientific testing of the innovative GOLDROP separation process with the University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa, Ghana”, the organisation said, which has ascertained, through discussions with North American gold miners, that  the GOLDROP equipment is “significantly more efficient than traditional gold panning”, which often uses mercury to separate gold from other heavy minerals.

MFM’s Executive Director, Toby Pomeroy, will be travelling to Ghana to begin the planned ten-day exhaustive, scientific field testing of the GOLDROP technology.

Pomeroy said: “MFM is thrilled to be leading the scientific tests of this gold processing system in Ghana, West Africa. We may be witnessing the beginning of the end of toxic mercury use in gold mining.”

John Richmond, inventor of GOLDROP said: “It’s an honour to announce that Sluice Goose Industries has selected Mercury Free Mining for further testing of our GOLDROP gold separating processor. We believe strongly that this alliance will usher in a new era of global use of the GOLDROP elutriation technology to replace mercury in gold recovery.”

MFM is also launching what it termed as “an urgent fund raising campaign”, in order to raise donations “to help meet their US$25,000 goal” to complete rigorous testing and documentation in collaboration with the University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa, Ghana.  

Pomeroy added: “Miners in three artisanal mining communities in the Ashanti region will use the GOLDROP equipment in daily, real-world applications. The results will be scientifically monitored, documented, and reported on the MFM website, blog page and social media.”

Festus Adomako Kusi, Technical Director of GNAASM commented: “When I saw the GOLDROP equipment demonstration video, I noted that the machine has the potential to prevent gold mining-related water pollution, which kills organisms that depend on these water bodies, including fish, crabs, birds, and many other animals often used in our food supply chain.”