RT null
T1 Technical and economic criteria for processing mercury-containing tailings
A1 United Nations Environment Programme, 
A1 Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals, 
K1 chemical
K1 mercury
K1 toxic substance
K1 ore
K1 Chile
K1 industrial processing
K1 economic analysis
YR 2010
FD 2010-04
LK https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/31246
UL https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/31246
NO This document provides a technical and economic assessment of the challenges and opportunities associated with processing mercury-containing mine tailings, with a particular emphasis on environmental risks and remediation strategies for inactive mining-related dumps, notably in and near Andacollo, central Chile. It contextualizes the environmental, historical, and political backdrop of mercury use in ore processing, underlining the serious health and ecological threats posed by mercury and other heavy metals present in tailings. The report offers detailed guidance on evaluating the feasibility of tailings reprocessing—covering site assessment, technical procedures, potential economic incentives, and legal and stakeholder considerations. It presents several global case studies, with a detailed focus on Andacollo, to illustrate the risks, remediation strategies, and technical options available.
DS UN Environment Document Repository
RD Sep 20, 2026