Arsenic sulfide ore "ARSENIC!!?"

[Heathenmojo]

So I have just begun to think perhaps I'm finally getting on top of minimizing all the previous unknown risk to my health involved with processing gold ore, you know things like lead, mercury, maybe even uranium ya just never know....then I stumble upon this during my research. Can anyone offer tips on recognizing Arsenic and the needed precautions to stay safe? Ive already begun handling all my rocks like they are contaminated with poison, as my logic is its better to wrongfully assume they are contaminated, vs wrongfully assuming they are NOT contaminated. Reading up on arsenic now. Feel free to mention any other bad lil things I might want to beware of.
View attachment Arsenic?.MOV

 

[Martijn]

Beryllium (oxide?) is carcinogenic, asbestos fibers can also be in ore, like in the Nevada desert.
The best thing to do is get info on the area where the rocks came from, which minerals and elements are common or present in dangerous concentrations, and have an assay done on a wide ore sample.
If it's all river rock, you'll have a hard time getting consistent "ore", but if you are concentrating placer, you just need to assay that concentrate.
A big enough placer sample will contain everything you will encounter in that area. Then determine the best suitable smelting process, flux and pretreatments i guess.

Remember: something is only called "ore" once it contains minable amounts of precious metals.
I crush river rocks I find in gravel beds on factories and railtracks, just for fun. I will never be able to locate the vein. But it's a guessing game everytime. Be carefull with all rock dust. Cinnabar can be washed off if crushed fine. i do not know how to recognize cyanide, so treat them all as if they do as you said.
And do not lick it to see shiny parts or gems!! Take a water bottle with you while prospecting.

Martijn.

 

[minero74]

Arsenic vary in color
from Yellow to gray even black
there is lot of information in the internet

if you have a ore check on the internet
before crushing it
use a respirator
Don’t roast what you don’t know!.
that was an advice that an old
miner gave me.

For me i only roast black sand
is safer.
than roasting ore with minerals contest that i have no idea what it is.

mining refractory ore is for the big guys
with big budget and lots of equipments

equipment that i don’t intent to buy it

for me ,I keep it simple and effective at the same time

and the most Safety first
i wont risk my life for any amount of gold.

mining and refining is fun and amazing
but learn it the right way
is the key to success in this amazing profession

i post few pictures of some ore with arsenic that i found in the internet.

some of those ore are very impressive by it color
those are few example of it.

 

[andu]

So I have just begun to think perhaps I'm finally getting on top of minimizing all the previous unknown risk to my health involved with processing gold ore, you know things like lead, mercury, maybe even uranium ya just never know....then I stumble upon this during my research. Can anyone offer tips on recognizing Arsenic and the needed precautions to stay safe? Ive already begun handling all my rocks like they are contaminated with poison, as my logic is its better to wrongfully assume they are contaminated, vs wrongfully assuming they are NOT contaminated. Reading up on arsenic now. Feel free to mention any other bad lil things I might want to beware of.

You do well treating any rock as poison, any dust or any gas can be a very costly mistake, I for one have never yet thought of refining ore, i'm staying with electronic waste, which I already find wasteful and dangerous.
Partly because I have no idea where to find ore .

Arsenic is pretty nasty btw, I wash my hands after touching clean lead.

 

[minero74]

Refining and mining are amazing
When We spend time on learning the process

there is No short cut, sometime we are looking for short cut.

But You wont find it in Mining ir Refining
the process is
Like many Member of this Forum have said before

1: Study ,study and continue to learn.
With Out study BY Yourself,You wont go No where in Refining and Mining.

2:Start slow,with small bacthes or in mining with small operation
Until You understand the process.

is Your own responsibility to learn.

If We notice many member have been giving Us very good advice.

Many of them have been pass thru the same process
Perseverance and discipline

those are key word for them,to be where they are now
And don’t get pistoff
when they tell You go and Ready Hoke Book.

If they send Us to Study
Is because they don’t Us to make lethal mistake

Is very easy to get hurt in mining and refining

Long time age I meet an Old miner, Who get his hand burn so badly
when He was smelting ore
why ?
because exactly that ,He don’t know the process and He was looking for a short cut.
and He get hurt pretty bad.

follow the adivce Many member are giving to Us
Don’t specting to make member giving out their secret recipe.

Because there is No secret recipe in the process of mining and refining
Like we Notice already

apart for people own way of measure and mixing the Chemicals
that many of them already posted in the forum

The Secret Recipe or trade

Is Very simple
Get inside a book

Study and study.

 

[goldshark]

So I have just begun to think perhaps I'm finally getting on top of minimizing all the previous unknown risk to my health involved with processing gold ore, you know things like lead, mercury, maybe even uranium ya just never know....then I stumble upon this during my research. Can anyone offer tips on recognizing Arsenic and the needed precautions to stay safe? Ive already begun handling all my rocks like they are contaminated with poison, as my logic is its better to wrongfully assume they are contaminated, vs wrongfully assuming they are NOT contaminated. Reading up on arsenic now. Feel free to mention any other bad lil things I might want to beware of.
View attachment 60311

One of the most distinctive characteristics of Arsenic related sulfides, is upon crushing, it emits a distinct odor of Garlic. Obviously you do not want to snort a line of this powder as an impromptu test, but a very faint odor will eminate from the dolly pot, mortar and pestle, hammer on plate, buckboard and muller, or any other crushing device. Roasting also releases the garlic odor. A very dilute sniff will not kill you immediately. It is cumulative, so do not become the Guinea pig for Arsenic related ore testing. Garlic and onions do contain a very small amount of Arsenic, which does have some health benefits. You just don't want to overdose on it.

 

[Yggdrasil]

One of the most distinctive characteristics of Arsenic related sulfides, is upon crushing, it emits a distinct odor of Garlic. Obviously you do not want to snort a line of this powder as an impromptu test, but a very faint odor will eminate from the dolly pot, mortar and pestle, hammer on plate, buckboard and muller, or any other crushing device. Roasting also releases the garlic odor. A very dilute sniff will not kill you immediately. It is cumulative, so do not become the Guinea pig for Arsenic related ore testing. Garlic and onions do contain a very small amount of Arsenic, which does have some health benefits. You just don't want to overdose on it.

Heathenmojo has earned a permanent vacation, so he will not reply.

 

[goldshark]

Bout time!

 

[FrugalRefiner]

We try to give everyone an opportunity to fit in. We can send PMs, and issue warnings, and many members take the advice we provide. Heathenmojo just chose a different path. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

Dave

 

[lost43ver]

Thank you for the wise words. I have just started reading the book and have found that there is a great many things I did not know about processing gold. This site is a true life saver.

 

[FrugalRefiner]

Well, then perhaps you won't be lost forever.

Dave

 

[Alondro]

One of the most distinctive characteristics of Arsenic related sulfides, is upon crushing, it emits a distinct odor of Garlic. Obviously you do not want to snort a line of this powder as an impromptu test, but a very faint odor will eminate from the dolly pot, mortar and pestle, hammer on plate, buckboard and muller, or any other crushing device. Roasting also releases the garlic odor. A very dilute sniff will not kill you immediately. It is cumulative, so do not become the Guinea pig for Arsenic related ore testing. Garlic and onions do contain a very small amount of Arsenic, which does have some health benefits. You just don't want to overdose on it.

Garlic and onions will only contain arsenic if they are grown in soil with arsenic in it. This is also true for other vegetables and even some grains, such as rice. Many plants accumulate arsenic in their tissues if the soil is contaminated.

Plants cannot create arsenic out of nothing! They don't have magical alchemic powers. So, if the plant is in soil with no arsensic, the plant will not have arsenic in it.

 

[galenrog]

The distinct aroma in garlic is due to allyl methyl sulfide, not arsenic. Same with onions.

The reason both garlic and onions contain arsenic, in minute amounts, it that arsenic can be found in many soils that are also appropriate for agriculture. Rice, and many other grasses will, from the same soil, contain far more arsenic in their edible seeds than does garlic.

Time for more coffee.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Sorry guys, he did not say it contains garlic, just that it has a garlic like smell.