Peru: technologies are implemented to prevent mercury contamination in the Puno region

It is estimated that artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) provides employment for 300,000 families in Peru; however, the use of mercury for artisanal gold processing poses risks to both human health and the environment. In response to this issue, since 2019, the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the planetGOLD Peru project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), have undertaken various actions to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of mercury in artisanal mining in Puno, Arequipa, and Piura.

After 5 years of implementation, the planetGOLD Peru project officially closed its activities in the Puno region on June 27 and 28 with a ceremony in the city of Puno and the inauguration of 4 new gravimetric plants in the city of Ananea. The event was attended by officials from the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Regional Management of the Environmental Authority of Puno, the Regional Directorate of Energy and Mines of Puno (DREM), and mining representatives from the district of Ananea.

In his speech, Francisco García, Director General of Environmental Quality at the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM), highlighted the commitment to the compliance with the Minamata Convention, ratified in 2015, which aims to protect human health and the environment from mercury emissions and releases. He also emphasized that “the transfer of the seven gravimetric plants currently in operation (in Puno) will not only allow the total elimination of mercury in mineral processing but will also facilitate the recovery of a higher percentage of gold.”

In addition to the gravimetric plants handed over to mining operations, DREM Puno received a pilot plant in 2022, which has enabled the training of dozens of miners, students, and professionals in the region on the use of this technology for clean gold production.

Gravimetric plants consist of a circuit of several pieces of equipment that, through vibration and water recirculation, allow gold to separate from other materials without the need to use mercury, enabling an efficient gold recovery rate of over 90%. In this way, miners using these technologies avoid mercury exposure, do not pollute the environment, and improve their production.

Meanwhile, Diana Rivera, Environmental Sustainability Program Officer at UNDP, highlighted the work carried out in the Puno region by the project and national, regional, and local strategic partners to address the challenge of reducing and eliminating the use of mercury in artisanal mining. This goal is aligned with the achievement of sustainable development goals, as responsible practices in the sector not only ensure responsible production and consumption but also reduce inequalities, improve health and well-being for the population, and provide decent work for rural communities.