Ari Levy (pictured), president of International Gemological Institute’s North American division, has joined the board of Mercury Free Mining (MFM).
Mercury, a traditional component in the gold separation process, is a neutrotoxin that can have long-lasting health effects on miners and the local population. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, 37% of the world’s mercury emissions stem from artisanal and small-scale gold mining,
JCK published an update on Mercury Free Mining earlier this month.
“As we learn more every day about the threat climate change poses to our planet…it is crucial the gemological community restores the environment and combats pollution,” said Levy in a statement.
Added MFM’s founder and executive director, Toby Pomeroy, in the same statement: “It is thrilling for me to witness the jewelry industry coming together to address the centuries-old problem of mercury pollution from gold mining. It is extraordinary to see leaders of an industry dedicating their time, energies, and money to the eradicating of mercury use in mining, contributing to the well-being of 20 million miners, their families, and our environment.”
Image courtesy of International Gemological Institute
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