Mining for Metals in the Waste We Create
Treasure in the Sidewalks
Nothing could be more blasé than walking, head bent down, and passing concrete sidewalk sections and expansion joint dividers, one after another. But in bustling urban jewelry quarters, a new kind of gold prospecting is taking place. Gemstones, silver, platinum, and especially gold are being mined from sidewalk cracks full of years' worth of traffic dirt from customers walking in and out.
A dime a dozen, we've all heard it. But did you know that in our current world, fracking sand sold for $34 a ton in 2018? A ton of sand occupies the space of 2.7 feet by 2.7 feet x 2.7 feet. Worthless sand?
Shoe Soles May Be a Cornucopia
You see, minuscule pieces of precious metal can be retrieved from this dusty accumulation of what seems nothing. Just like the gold prospectors of bygone days, these folks scrape the dusty cracks and concrete joints, seeking their hidden bounty. Flakes of gold foil, tiny pieces of gold from repairs, gold powder from cuttings, and the occasional diamond, ruby, or emerald chip are their holy grail. Gold is soft and easily sticks to the soles of shoes. Chips can get lodged a bit in those soles and then deposited outside a doorway. The same goes for other precious metals.
Because workers in the jewelry business know how valuable their materials are, you can see jewelers brushing and vacuuming their workbenches, clothes and shoes. Sinks are often equipped to save wash water lest fragments of gold be washed down the drain. The water can be panned later. Some small pieces accumulate in drains inside and out of jewelry stores. Even nearby streets, roads, and dumpsters can harbor the remnants of a jewelry shop's work.
Valuables in Front of You
Given that there have been several studies regarding thrown-away money, the U.S. Mint roughly calculates between 66 and 77 percent of pennies each year are discarded one way or another. The Transportation Security Administration found $617,000 in spare change at airports in 2014.
One man started collecting change at a carwash, and finding it lucrative, he kept track. After one year—from that carwash alone—the New York man found over $1000.
Is it any wonder why precious metal can be found in sludge? Millions of pedestrians walk billions of times over pathways, sidewalks, and streets. How many have unknown holes in their pockets? How many necklaces accidentally break and fall due to fiddling fingers? What about bracelets or necklaces that are ripped off with a gold link or chain falling to the ground? Broken earrings are another commonly lost jewelry item. And with all of the manufacturing going on, we know there is a lot of silver, platinum, and gold to be stumbled upon.
On Finding a Pearl at the Oyster Bar
“I’ll usually bite down on oysters a few times because I like the taste, but I know some people just swallow it whole,” she said. “So maybe people swallow pearls more than they think.” - Kristin Pulaski
Waste Not Want Not
When biosolids are separated from effluent and dried, they become sludge. In some countries, the sewer sludge is gathered and sifted to extract precious metals. This can be especially profitable in third-world nations.
In Japan, the sludge, or what remains after the sewage is treated, is collected. In Suwa in Nagano Prefecture, a treatment plant near a large number of precision equipment manufacturers reportedly collected nearly 2 kilograms of gold in every metric ton of ash left from burning sludge, making it more gold-rich than the ore in many mines. The Japanese prefecture (similar to a U.S. county) has been mining its sewage treatment plant for the last 10 years. In 2008, it recovered $168,000 worth of gold. The recovery value is based on fluctuating gold prices.
Pig in a Poke
One's perception of what is hideously disgusting can change.
Street gutters can be extremely odious with their gummy black coats. Yet, in the very same gutters, there is a good chance of finding valuable metal. Vanadium and platinum can be found in these street-side troughs. These metals are discharged in small amounts by automobiles all day long.
Vanadium, a steel hardener, is being discharged by machines used for crushing, grinding, and cutting. Folks working in the industry use vanadium tools, and those tools are being sanded, chipped, and dropped daily. At the shift's end, the bits left behind are washed down the drain by clean-up crews.
Platinum and lead are also found in the street. Lead is found in pipes, storage batteries, weights, fishing sinkers, shot, and cable covers. Platinum is used in the lining of converters, and when worn over time, small particles are released in the exhaust, only to fall to the ground. Larger pieces can flake off with time.
If this material could be collected and separated economically for recycling, it might make a difference to the environment and reduce public expenditures to remediate pollution. Researchers in India have separated vanadium oxide from sludge. English researchers have separated vanadium from industry sludge.
Extracting Gold from Poop
As environmental engineering becomes a topic of increased interest, gold and silver mining at water treatment plants is at the forefront. In 2009, Kathleen Smith, a U.S. Geological Survey researcher, claimed that in her study of sewer plants producing more than one million gallons of sludge, an average of 30 mg of silver per kilogram (2.2 pounds), 563 mg of copper per kg, and 36 mg of vanadium per kg were found.
In another study at Arizona State University in 2015, Paul Westerhoff estimates that there could be as much as $2,600,000 worth of gold and silver produced from poop in cities of just one million inhabitants. When the sludge is incinerated, the ash that is left behind is even richer in precious metal.
It's hardly a pile of crap, if you know what I mean.
Suggested Reading
- The California Gold Rush: The History of Mining in Gold Country
When gold was discovered in California in 1848, men from every profession and every part of the world responded to its allure. Of those who took part in the California Gold Rush, many knew very little about mining, and few struck it rich. - The Gold Prospector's Burro: An Indispensable Companion
A burro (Spanish for donkey) plodded steadily along with a miner's supplies. The prospector didn't ride the animal but walked in front. Without burros, the Old West would have seen less progress. - Understanding Gold Purity: 9K, 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K, and 24K
You may have previously thought that gold is gold, but actually, gold varies in purity. This article will explore both the gold purity chart and the gold karat scale and explain how to understand the difference between 9K, 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K, and 24K - The Search for Nazi Gold
As Hitler's conquering armies rolled across Europe, they stole everything of value, particularly gold. Where is the loot now? - 3 Fascinating Tales of Buried Treasure in Oklahoma
During the 1800s, Oklahoma was a wild and rugged place, full of outlaws and almost devoid of law. These treasure tales tell the story of outlaw treasures gained and lost.
Sources
Eaton, Kit (2009, December 2). Mining Poop for Gold, Retrieved November 3, 2019 from https://www.fastcompany.com/1149469/mining-poop-gold
Doyle, John (2011 June 20). Man digs for treasure on streets of NYC, Retrieved November 3, 2019 from https://nypost.com/2011/06/20/got-his-mined-in-the-gutter/
Cornwall, Warren (2015 January 16). Retrieved November 4, 2019 from https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/01/sewage-sludge-could-contain-millions-dollars-worth-gold
Panko, Ben (2017 October 12). Retrieved November 4 from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/swiss-sewage-full-gold-apparently-180965245/
Von Radowitz, John (2015 March 24). Retrieved November 4, 2019 from https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gold-found-human-poo-could-5389046
Gannon, Megan (2015 March 24). Retrieved November 4, 2019 from https://www.livescience.com/50235-solid-gold-poop-could-yield-precious-metals.html
T.K.MukherjeeS.P.ChakrabortyA.C.BidayeC.K.Gupta (2016, October 10). Retrieved November 5,2019 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/089268759090129Y
Kulmann, Joe (No Date). Retrieved November 5, 2019 from https://asunow.asu.edu/content/sewage-sludge-could-contain-millions-dollars-worth-gold
Bartiromo, Michael (2019 October 23). Retrieved November 6, 2019 from https://nypost.com/2019/10/23/couple-finds-once-in-a-lifetime-pearl-in-oyster-at-nj-restaurant/
Comments
Post a Comment