In the last decades, limit concentration values for environmentally dangero
us synthetic and natural chemical substances have been established in the i
ndustrialized countries. According to the range of application, state of ag
gregation, propagation velocity, specific action on living organisms, long
or short time effect, etc., different terms specify these limit concentrati
ons (adi, TLV, LD50, immissions values, water quality standards, etc.). Sev
eral parameters (e.g. range of application, ethic and social valuation, env
ironmental factors, scientific knowledge) have lead to nationally and inter
nationally varying values depending on region and time. The veracity of the
thus developed system of evaluation cannot necessarily be improved by list
ing further analytical data but rather by furnishing sufficiently secured s
cientific data for a serious discussion with the public influenced more and
more by the mass media. The best-established scientific knowledge has been
acquired in the field of the chemical industry(1). National and internatio
nal groups demand to deal with ecological-chemical problems in other fields
of industry as well and this research could without doubt be intensified.
Using the example of the mining industry which has to employ chemical metho
ds in order to isolate small concentrations (ppm) we show the environmental
conflict caused by the increasing world population requiring the adaptatio
n of the process to the modem environmental concept. This is illustrated by
the evolution of the gold recovery process.