(c) Maximum 2 points total, 1 point for each factor described.
Identify TWO factors that may have accounted for the rapid decline in the
population in Barronsville between 1850 and 1890. (1 point maximum for
each possible cause for the population to decline. Only the first two factors
provided are considered.) Possible factors might include:
■ What gold existed in the area was extracted to the point where it was not
economical to mine anymore.
■ Lack of proper sanitation and/or health care which could have created
conditions for disease or an epidemic.
■ News of a richer strike in another location.
■ Pollution and health effects caused by chemicals used during the gold
extraction process.(d) Maximum 2 points total.
Cyanide and mercury are toxic pollutants that are still used in gold mining
today. Choose ONE of these chemicals and explain how they are used in gold
mining and their effect on the environment and human health. (1 point for a
correct explanation of the process, and 1 point for a correct explanation of
the health and/or environmental effect(s).) After being brought to the surface,
the ore must be processed to extract the mineral, which generates huge
quantities of waste. The amount of recoverable metal in even high grade ores
is generally just a small fraction of the total mass. Every ounce of gold
produced results in 30 tons of mine waste. Gold is commonly extracted from