ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the environmental degradation causing the health risk of the local population, which is one of the major factors creating a direct perception on any issue, and it is the same in the case of gold mining and metallurgy. As the world is becoming more concerned with sustainability rather than only the efficient extraction of this precious metal, it is imperative to know the human perceptions on gold metallurgy. To clarify, the human perceptions are based on the practices of the gold mining and metallurgical industries, including deep underground processes and surface working processes and their impacts on the society and environment. The importance of this topic can be understood by a study carried out on global perceptions of the gold mining industry by the World Gold Council to reveal the challenges the industry faces now and in the future.
