Abstract This study is aimed at determining the concentration of gold in the gold ore in lujinjimubende district. Currently investing in gold mining is taken as a riskyinvestmentbecause people are not sure of the concentration of gold in lujinji and also the depth where gold concentration is high. The results of this research gave the concentration of gold in lujinji and also the depth of high concentration from the surface, which eased the mining activity by extracting gold at a known height and also determine whether lujinji as a mining area qualifies for commercial mining. Samples were collected from different shafls at different heights in meters, they were taken to geological survey and mines Entebbe for size reduction to fine particles and finally they were taken to Makerere University in the department of geology for sample preparation and analysis. The concentration of gold at different heights was analyzed and it was found out that gold is present in the lujinji and proved to be more concentrated at 200m and therefore arrange of 1 OOm to 500m can be considered. Further studies need to be carried out to determine the levels and concentration of gold in other gold areas and also on other metals like silver, lead, which was not covered in this study and also lujinji as an area qualifies for commercial mining according to the price of gold on the world market.

Table of Contents

Declaration

Acknowledgement iii

Dedication iv

Abstract

List of Figures viii

List of Tables ix

CHAPTER ONE 1

1.lBackground 1

1.2 Problem statement 3

1.3 objectives 3

1.3.1: general objective 3

1.3.2: specific objectives 3

1 .4Justification 4

1.6 Scope of the study 4

1.7 Significance of the study 4

CHAPTER TWO 5

LITERATURE REVIEW s

2.0. General description of gold 5

2.1: An overview of gold extraction process 6

2.2: Researches and developments 8

2.3:Artisanal and small-scale Gold mining 12

2.3.1:The implications of artisanal gold mining on food security 16

2.3.2:Artisanal gold mining and land use 17

2.3.3:Food security and artisanal gold mining: ‘Before and after scenario’ 18

2.3.4: Artisanal gold mining, gender roles and food security 19

2.3.5:The impact of mercury on food security 20

2.4: Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) 20

CHAPTER THREE 21

METHODOLOGY 21

3.1 Study area 21

3.2: Study design 21

3.3: Sampling 22

vi

3.4 Sample analysis .22

3.5.1: Working standards preparations from stock solutions 23

3.5.2. Calibration of the Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer 23

3.5.3: Preparing the calibration curve using reference standards 23

3.5.4: Analysis of collected samples 24

CHAPTER FOUR 25

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 25

4.3 :Discussions of the results 25

4.3.1 :NalongoCompany (A) 26

4.3.2:Mukapya(B) 26

4.3.3:Mirembe Company (C) 26

4.3.4:Kigenyi(D) 27

CHAPTER FiVE 28

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 28

5.1 CONCLUSIONS 28

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS 28

REFERENCES 29