Johannesburg, South Africa has a rich history of gold mining, with the Witwatersrand region holding an estimated $24 billion worth of gold. The area experienced a major gold rush in the late 19th century and became the birthplace of the city. However, over time, the extraction process has left behind huge hills of tailings.
Recent research by Dr. Steve Chingwaru, a metallurgist from Zimbabwe, shows that these tailings may contain up to 460 tons of “invisible gold”. Invisible gold is mixed inside other minerals and cannot be seen with the naked eye. Chingwaru’s project aims to reprocess these tailings in a more efficient way to extract this valuable resource.
Current methods of mining tailings are not only inefficient but also harmful to the environment. When sulphides oxidize, sulfuric acid is created and can mix with groundwater, spreading toxic elements. Chingwaru’s method not only recovers gold but also valuable by-products like copper, cobalt, and nickel while removing heavy metal contamination and acidic water.
The challenge now lies in determining whether this new method is cost-effective enough to mine the gold and make a profit. According to Chingwaru, industry experts in South Africa believe that his method can be scaled up to become economically viable. If successful, it could bring new life to the region while also helping to clean up the environmental damage caused by past mining practices.
In conclusion, the Witwatersrand region holds immense potential for gold extraction through more efficient methods that are less harmful to the environment. With Dr. Steve Chingwaru’s innovative approach and industry support, this dream could soon become a reality and bring economic benefits to South Africa while minimizing environmental harm caused by past mining practices.
