Bricks made of Recycled Toxic Mining Residues

Peru this Week reports that a project developed by the San Pablo Catholic University of Arequipa received funding from the ministry of production’s Research and Development Fund for Competitiveness (FIDECOM). The project aims at recycling toxic mining residue into bricks.

“Cyanide is one of the most widely used compounds in gold processing, but it is more manageable and less risky than mercury, it is only lethal when ingested or inhaled in large quantities,” Barreda [Miguel Barreda de la Cruz, a professor at the San Pablo Catholic University of Arequipa] said, according to [the news agency] Andina.

“This research is an important contribution to reducing pollution from solid and liquid waste that comes from artisanal mining,” he added.