Environmental assessment of mercury pollution in urban tailings from gold mining

► Artisanal gold mining is one of the most significant sources of mercury release into the environment. ► Centuries of mercury contaminated mine tailings intermingle with residential neighborhoods, in Andacollo, Chile. ► Concentration of mercury and uncertainty was measured in mine tailings. ► Concentration of mercury in three of the fourteen sites studied exceeded many international standards. ► These study developed an integrated and effective method for assessing mercury pollution.