Evolución cronológica del proceso de explotación de oro en el mundo y en Ecuador y sus efectos sobre el ambiente.

Abstract

The following paper shows the chronological evolution of gold exploitation in Ecuador and in the world, starting from the pre-cyanidation period to the so-called gold rush. Emphasis is placed on the use of this resource that allowed the economic development of the areas where the metal was exploited and the social and environmental consequences triggered by this activity. in addition, the exploitation and refining techniques, used for the recovery of this metal, focusing on phytoextraction and phytoremediation techniques as alternatives physical-chemical processes, are described. Finally, it is highlighted how Ecuador can contribute to the development of alternative technologies for gold mining, through the study of the characteristics of some native plants existing in the amazon region.