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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;calcol, post: 2758906, member: 77639&quot;]If you have older gold coins, especially 19th century and earlier, chances are very high that the gold was extracted and/or refined with mercury.&nbsp; Gold in ore readily forms an amalgam, leaving impurities behind.&nbsp; Then heat the amalgam to vaporize the mercury, and gold along with silver and a few other metals are left.&nbsp; Huge areas of the western US and the world have been contaminated with mercury as a result.&nbsp; For example, California&#039;s largest natural fresh water lake, Clear Lake, is contaminated with mercury from an old mine.&nbsp; Calif. Fish and Game has suggested limits on consumption of fish from the lake.</p><p><br /></p><p>In some areas of the world where gold mining is done by small companies or individuals, mercury is still used.&nbsp; Most of the world uses the cyanide process today to extract and purify gold.&nbsp; Paradoxically, cyanide is much more toxic as an acute dose than mercury.&nbsp; Swallow 100 mg of elemental mercury, and you&#039;ll live to talk about it; not so with cyanide.&nbsp; However, mercury is an element, and short of an atomic reactor, can&#039;t be destroyed.&nbsp; Cyanide is easily inactivated chemically, and if it does escape into the environment, doesn&#039;t last long.</p><p><br /></p><p>Cal[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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