First insight into the natural biodegradation of cyanide in a gold tailings environment enriched in cyanide compounds.

The disposal of mining wastes that contain cyanide are dumped in tailings from gold extraction is a public concern in mining countries such as South Africa. Many studies have shown the potential of microorganisms to degrade cyanide. However, no in-situ exploration, in tailings contaminated with cyanide, of the capability of indigenous microorganisms to act as a natural barrier for cyanide attenuation has been performed.

Cyanide within gold mine waste of the free state goldfields: A geochemical modelling approach.

Cyanide, which remains the preferred chemical used in the gold extraction process, has the potential to be disposed of on goldmine tailings. South Africa has nine goldfields, producing approximately a third of the world's gold to date. The cyanide interacts with metals in the tailings environment, where Prussian blue [Formula: see text] and Turnbull's blue [Formula: see text] are among these.