One man´s TRASH is another´s TREASURE

This is 24 carat of gold  extracted out of old computer chips

Electronic waste contains 17 times more gold than gold ore and 40 time more copper than copper ore. Initially gold was recycled for copper. At that time people involved  in this process did not know that ewaste contained precious metals and back then ewaste was cheaper. Processor chip has highest amount of  gold in it, said one of the people running gold extraction business. Older the processor,  higher the amount of gold it contains.  Pentium 1 processors are the most expensive ones.

 Intel Processor

Plastic sheets that are present in keyboards  are source of silver ( circuit lines that you see is silver). These plastic sheets are  washed with acid which helps dissolving plastic and silver is extracted.

Processors lined from the least to most amount of gold

These processors are crushed and dipped in acid till all the plastic and other unnecessary materials are dissolved and gold and silver settles down. In one of the case the man told me he would use about 3000 kg of acid every month which is dumped into the local water body after it has been used. That is the effluent of  only one of the gold processing facilities. 

   

         

This is a small crushing machine. Old computer chips are placed in with the white rocks and it is churned, in the process the chips are crushed in to fine soil like material.

This material is then burnt at high temperature in crucibles as a result  of which  plastic is burnt off  as dioxins,  furans ( highly toxic and persistent compounds)  and other toxics. Then mercury is added to what is left behind to help in gold separation (to form amalgam).  This is further burnt at high temperature in order to separate gold from impurities  and mercury is released in volatilized form.This is one of the most toxic forms of mercury. These activities are carried out in a very populated area thus exposing the local community and workers to toxic emissions.

Man washing gold.

High temperature crucibles

These are a few happy faces of the people involved in the process. They are not aware that what they are working with for approximately 10 hours everyday, six days a week, might be killing them gradually. When asked if they feel any discomfort or pain  working in such conditions, their answer was "no not exactly". At times they might have problems with breathing and that is when they eat a piece of gur (unprocessed sugar which has medicinal values). It clears the breathing passage and lungs. They are laborers and do not own the gold they process. This gold is processed only at a cost of their lives and $2.6 per day. As unjust as it may sound the profits of this business is enjoyed by someone else but the impacts are borne by this innocent labour force.

Motherboards and chips dipped in acid. This person inhales these fumes everyday, for several hours a day. His solution is the same gur,  it helps keep his throat and breathing track clear. This acid is than thrown into local water body or exactly where he is standing.

Metal extracted after acid dipping. These are parts of old telephone exchange.

Gold plated pins form old telephone exchange which will be dipped in acid  and gold will be extracted from.