Technology

Man Gets Killed in an Attempt at Squeezing Gold from Computer Hardware

He got intoxicated with mercury vapors

By Bogdan Botezatu, Hardware Editor

5th of April 2008, 11:13 GMT

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That's a piece of hardware worth dying for

A man got killed after an unsuccessful attempt at extracting gold from his own computer hardware devices. Tulsa resident Tony Winnett died after weeks of getting intoxicated with mercury, a metal he used to substitute gold from the computer's circuitry.

Winnett, aged 55, experimented with mercury for such a long time,

that not only he got lethally poisoned, but his house was so contaminated that living inside it will be extremely dangerous and could result in other individuals getting poisoned.

According to Durant/Bryan County Emergency Management Director James Dalton, Winnett along with his partner Melissa Lake heated the mercury during the gold separation process and involuntarily inhaled the dangerous vapors.

Dalton enlarged upon the matter and said that mercury is used on a large scale for separating gold, as a result of a simple chemical reaction, but this operation is not to be done at home, and rather in a specially controlled industry environment.

Winnett's home has already been surrounded by the law enforcement agents and the authorities are awaiting a verdict from the Environmental Protection Agency.

"We're going to be in touch with the health department and the district attorney's office on what type of action we have to take to abate it," Dalton said.

His partner was treated for severe respiratory problems inflicted by the inhalation of the toxic metal, but doctors estimate that she will survive.

Gold is used on a small scale in the computer hardware industry thanks to its increased electric conductivity and prolonged lifespan, among other qualities. However, the gold parts are insignificant in terms of quantity (estimations claim that there are less than two grams in a high-end computing system).

Computers may be a great way of spending the leisure time or communicating, but they certainly are not to be regarded as gold mines.

TAGS:

Mercury | computer hardware | intoxication

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