What Kind of Problems Arise Out Of Extracting Gold With Technologies Using Cyanide?

Cyanides are chemical compounds, which are normally present in low, harmless concentrations in the environment. Extracting gold by technologies using cyanides, as well as the technologies’ transportation and the preserving of cyanides, increases their concentration in soil, water and air. Thus, they become a poison with almost immediate influence on living organisms, including human beings. Cyanides' lethal influence is due to the blocking of oxygen traveling to the cells when breathing in, and when engulfed even in small amounts, they are toxic. Even exposal of short continuance such as breathing, engulfing or direct contact with high cyanide concentrations, may damage the brain and the heart, and may lead to unconsciousness and death. Long- term effect of using cyanides is their accumulation in soil and groundwater through which cyanides spread and pollute surrounding areas. For more information, please refer to the campaign: "The Rhodope Mountains without cyanides".

Translation from Bulgarian: Ani Evtimova