The gold routes satisfying the global gold supply are mining (74%), recycling of high-value gold (23%), and electronic scraps (3%). Besides its applications in the investment, jewelry, and industrial sector, gold also has a bad image. The gold production in industrial as well as artisanal and small-scale mines creates negative impacts such as resource depletion, extensive chemical use, toxic emissions, high energy consumption, and social concerns that are of great importance. On the other hand, almost all gold is recycled and has historically always been. In common life cycle assessment (LCA) databases, there is no data on recycling of high-value gold available. This article attempts to answer the question what the ecological benefits of this recycling are. In this study, we were able to collect process data on the most commonly used high-value gold scrap recycling process, the aqua regia method, from several state-of-the-art German refineries. With this data, life cycle inventories were created and a life cycle model was produced to finally generate life cycle impacts of high-value gold scrap recycling. This study contains the corresponding inventories and thus enables other interested parties to use these processes for their own LCA studies. The results show that high-value gold scrap recycling has a considerably lower environmental impact than electronic gold scrap recycling and mining. For example, high-value gold scrap recycling in Germany results in a cumulative energy demand (CED) of 820 MJ and a global warming potential (GWP) of 53 kg-CO2-Eq. per kg gold. In comparison, common datasets indicate CED and GWP levels of nearly 8 GJ and 1 t-CO2-Eq. per kg gold, respectively, for electronic scrap recycling and levels of 240 GJ and 16 t-CO2-Eq. per kg gold, respectively, for mining. The results show that buying gold from precious metal recycling facilities with high technological standards and a reliable origin of the recycling material is about 300 times better than primary production.

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高价值废金回收的环境影响

满足全球黄金供应的黄金路线是采矿（74%）、高价值黄金回收（23%）和电子废料（3%）。除了在投资、珠宝和工业领域的应用外，黄金的形象也很差。工业以及手工和小规模矿山的黄金生产会产生负面影响，例如资源枯竭、大量化学品使用、有毒排放、高能耗以及非常重要的社会问题。另一方面，几乎所有的黄金都被回收了，而且在历史上一直如此。在常见的生命周期评估 (LCA) 数据库中，没有关于回收高价值黄金的数据。本文试图回答这种回收的生态效益是什么的问题。在这项研究中，我们能够从几家最先进的德国精炼厂收集最常用的高价值废金回收工艺（王水法）的工艺数据。利用这些数据，创建生命周期清单并生成生命周期模型，最终生成高价值废金回收的生命周期影响。本研究包含相应的清单，因此其他相关方可以将这些过程用于他们自己的 LCA 研究。结果表明，与电子黄金废料回收和采矿相比，高价值金废料回收对环境的影响要小得多。例如，德国的高价值黄金废料回收导致累积能源需求 (CED) 为 820 MJ，全球变暖潜能值 (GWP) 为 53 kg-CO2-Eq。每公斤黄金。相比下，常见数据集表明 CED 和 GWP 水平接近 8 GJ 和 1 t-CO2-Eq。每公斤黄金分别用于电子废料回收和 240 GJ 和 16 t-CO2-Eq 的水平。每公斤黄金分别用于开采。结果表明，从技术标准高、回收材料来源可靠的贵金属回收设施购买黄金比初级生产好约 300 倍。