| Abstract Title: | Mercury contamination index to estimate the risk in public health from ASGM |
| Presenter Name: | Alfonso Rodriguez |
| Company/Institution: | Pure Earth |
| Session: | Mercury in Contaminated Sites |
| Co-Authors: | Alfonso Rodriguez |
Abstract Information :
Description and background In Colombia, under Law 1658 of 2013, the use of mercury was prohibited in ASGM. This industry is the main consumer of mercury, emitting almost 1000 tons of this metal annually; as a consequence, it has left several contaminated sites representing a risk to public health. However, not all sites have the same degree of contamination, so it is important to identify the sites with the greatest contamination and generate methodologies for their prioritization, which do not currently exist. Pure Earth under the "Toxic Sites Identification Program"" has found sites with the presence of mercury which have been assigned a ?Blacksmith Index (BI)? for prioritization.
