Gold (including gold plated with platinum), unwrought or in semi-manufactured forms, or in powder form

1. Scope and Applicability

This PCR applies to foreground production of gold at the refinery or metal-forming gate when the saleable output is unwrought gold, gold powder, a semi-manufactured gold form, or gold plated with platinum within CPC 41320. The foreground boundary begins with received, assayed gold-bearing refinery feed and ends with the mass-accounted gold product in its declared saleable form. It covers primary/intermediate doré feed and secondary gold-scrap feed as distinct conditional inputs, and requires the actual refining and forming route to be declared.

Mining, ore beneficiation, mine-site leaching, scrap collection before refinery acceptance, finished jewellery, coins, electronic components, and downstream use are outside the foreground process. Their burdens are represented by upstream datasets when included in the study scope. Gold ores and concentrates, waste gold, base metals or silver clad with gold, and finished articles are not reference products under this PCR.

2. Product Category Identity

Field	Value
canonical_pcr_id	pcr.metal-products-machinery-and-equipment.basic-metals.gold-including-gold-plated-with-platinum-unwrought-or-in-semi-manufactured-forms-or-in-739283c7
classification_refs	CPC 3.0: 41320
covered_products	Unwrought gold; gold powder; semi-manufactured gold forms; gold plated with platinum, where gold remains the classified product
excluded_products	Gold ores and concentrates; waste and scrap of gold; base metals or silver clad with gold; finished jewellery, coins, electronic parts, and other finished articles
representative_product	Mass-accounted saleable gold in the declared form and fineness
production_route	Refining of assayed doré or accepted gold scrap by the declared pyrometallurgical, electrorefining, hydrochloric-acid/chlorine, aqua-regia, precipitation, melting, casting, granulation, powder, or forming sequence actually used
market_state	At the refinery or forming facility gate, unpackaged, with form, fineness, alloy/platinum-plating status, and moisture or surface-treatment basis declared

3. Reference Flow

Field	Value
What	Production of a declared saleable gold form within CPC 41320
How much	1 kg net gold product at the facility gate
How well	Conforming to the producer's declared fineness, physical form, dimensions or particle specification, alloy status, and platinum-plating status
How long or cycle	One production lot or campaign represented by the reporting period; no use duration is assigned
reference_flow_link	The output row output_gold is the quantitative reference

Field	Value
Reference amount	1 kg
Reference product flow	Gold 4ceb691b-15cf-4775-b55e-06a0370973a7
Reference flow property	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66
Reference unit group	Units of mass 93a60a57-a4c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66
Reference unit	kg
Required qualifiers	final physical form; gold fineness and assay method; alloy composition; platinum-plating presence and coating basis; production route; primary/intermediate or recycled feed route; facility geography; reporting period; net-mass boundary; packaging exclusion

When constructing a foreground data package, the items listed in Required qualifiers must be declared in dataset metadata, process notes, reference flow comment, product description, or an equivalent data package field. Missing required qualifiers make the reference flow definition incomplete for that data package.

4. Measurement and Unit Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Required property	Required unit	Rule
reference_mass	Reference product and mass-accounted material rows	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66	kg	Report net mass excluding packaging. State whether powder moisture, surface coating, or retained process liquid is included; normalize every inventory amount to 1 kg of the declared reference product.
contained_gold_accounting	Doré, scrap, product, residue, and co-product metal accounting	Mass and assay fraction	kg Au	Calculate contained gold from measured lot mass, dry-matter correction where relevant, and representative assay. Preserve gross mass and assay records; do not substitute nominal fineness for measured assay.
gas_reference_conditions	Natural gas and industrial oxygen	Volume	m3	Record meter reference temperature, pressure, dry/wet basis, and standard condition. Convert volume only when those conditions and the conversion method are documented.
electricity_energy_basis	Alternating-current electricity	Net calorific value 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66	MJ	Retain the original meter unit and billing interval. When converting kWh to MJ, apply the exact SI relation 1 kWh = 3.6 MJ and retain both values.

5. System Boundary

The foreground system contains feed acceptance and assay; only the preparation, melting, dissolution, refining, electrorefining, precipitation, casting, granulation, powder production, or semi-manufacturing operations actually used; off-gas capture and treatment; internal wastewater transfer and treatment attributable to the product; and final product assay and weighing. Buildings and capital equipment are outside the default foreground inventory unless explicitly included.

Boundary Abstraction

Field	Value
declared_starting_condition	Received gold-bearing feed has crossed the facility gate and has a unique lot identity, measured mass, representative gold assay, physical-state description, supplier/source route, and waste-or-product legal status.
starting_condition_role	Foreground gate input; upstream production, collection, and transport are represented separately when required by the declared study boundary.
product_classification_scope	Saleable outputs within CPC 3.0 code 41320 only.
recursive_input_rule	A purchased or transferred gold input already within CPC 41320 is recorded with its own upstream dataset and is not recursively re-produced inside this foreground process. Internal rework is recorded once in the mass balance and is not a new external input.
upstream_dataset_requirement	Link doré, gold scrap under the chosen recycling system model, electricity, fuels, oxygen, water, and each reagent to geography-, technology-, concentration-, and delivery-appropriate upstream datasets when constructing cradle-to-gate results.
disclosure	Declare feed route and legal status, supplier/source geography, assay and dry-mass basis, refining/forming technology, included environmental-control operations, recycling allocation approach, co-products, internal recycling, cut-offs, product form/fineness, and whether upstream transport is included.

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
boundary_rule_1	foreground_operation_selection	Include only operations actually used to transform accepted feed into the declared gold product; record route-specific reagents and emissions as conditional atomic exchanges.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020
boundary_rule_2	environmental_controls	Include attributable off-gas capture/scrubbing and wastewater neutralization or treatment; do not report untreated generation and treated release as the same exchange.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020
boundary_rule_3	upstream_and_recycling_boundary	Keep physical foreground collection from accepted feed to saleable product distinct from upstream datasets and the declared recycling system model.	fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

6. Process Inventory Structure

Process Map

process_id	process_name	inclusion	inclusion_condition	role	quantitative_reference
gold_refining_and_forming	Gold feed preparation, refining, environmental control, and final forming	required		Foreground production from accepted refinery feed to saleable gold product	1 kg output_gold

Process: Gold feed preparation, refining, environmental control, and final forming (gold_refining_and_forming)

Inputs

Product flows

Doré bullion refinery feed (feed_dore_bullion)

Doré bullion is recorded when it enters the foreground gate as a product input. Include it only for lots supplied as doré; preserve measured mass, gold/silver assay, impurity profile, source route, and supplier dataset link.

• Selected flow: Doré bullion 51a53db0-358c-463b-96b3-691fc1e4b654
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured net mass of accepted doré lots
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_mass_and_assay
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Alternating-current electricity (input_electricity)

Record metered alternating-current electricity consumed by included production and environmental-control equipment.

• Selected flow: alternating current 8bfc48b1-c262-4156-a817-b2c8a1b21598
• Flow property / unit: Net calorific value / MJ
• Amount rule: measured electricity consumption allocated to included operations
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_energy_and_fuel_records
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Gaseous natural gas (input_natural_gas)

Record gaseous natural gas when used in included furnaces, dryers, or thermal environmental-control operations.

• Selected flow: natural gas in the gaseous state 4f19ca0e-7b3b-11dd-ad8b-0800200c9a66
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: measured delivered gas at documented reference conditions
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_energy_and_fuel_records
• Sources: fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Industrial oxygen (input_industrial_oxygen)

Record industrial oxygen only when used in cupellation, oxy-fuel melting, oxidation, or another included refining operation.

• Selected flow: Industrial oxygen bd4b0f96-2090-4806-a648-335ab20ff401
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: measured oxygen delivered at documented reference conditions
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_gas_reagent_records
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Process water (input_process_water)

Record process water supplied for dissolution, washing, granulation, electrolyte makeup, scrubbing, or attributable wastewater treatment. Keep fresh and internally recycled water separate.

• Selected flow: Process Water 94a04f7e-2d5c-41f0-b182-d54a3b373a02
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured fresh process-water input
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_water_records
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Hydrochloric acid solution (input_hydrochloric_acid)

Record hydrochloric acid solution only for a route that consumes it. Supplied concentration and product state are mandatory qualifiers; the UUID remains unresolved until an exact concentration-specific identity is selected.

• Selected flow: Hydrochloric acid solution
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg solution
• Amount rule: measured mass of supplied hydrochloric acid solution and recorded concentration
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_reagent_records
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Nitric acid (input_nitric_acid)

Record nitric acid only when aqua regia or another included nitric-acid operation is used; retain supplied concentration and grade.

• Selected flow: Nitric acid bf883501-c052-414e-8e21-e6f53cc257ba
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured mass of supplied nitric acid with concentration recorded
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_reagent_records
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Sodium hydroxide (input_sodium_hydroxide)

Record sodium hydroxide consumed in off-gas scrubbing, wastewater neutralization, cyanide destruction where applicable, or another included operation; retain supplied concentration and state.

• Selected flow: Sodium hydroxide e0abcced-0611-4c24-9290-5a2c5a0c4169
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured mass of supplied sodium hydroxide product or solution
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_reagent_records
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Quicklime (input_quicklime)

Record quicklime only when consumed in attributable wastewater neutralization. Do not substitute generic lime or a volume-only loose-product identity.

• Selected flow: Quicklime
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured mass of quicklime consumed
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_reagent_records
• Sources: fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Sulfur dioxide (input_sulfur_dioxide)

Record sulfur dioxide only when used to precipitate gold from solution; retain purity and supply state.

• Selected flow: sulfur dioxide fdbae35b-dde5-45ff-9834-f61e1cdf32e4
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured mass supplied to gold precipitation
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_gas_reagent_records
• Sources: fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Chlorine gas (input_chlorine)

Record chlorine only when used in Miller refining, hydrochloric-acid/chlorine dissolution, or an included electrolyte operation.

• Selected flow: Chlorine 1fb2c22c-c189-4e2a-9a9f-810b59c37325
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured mass supplied to included operations
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_gas_reagent_records
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Waste flows

Gold scrap refinery feed (feed_gold_scrap)

Record accepted waste and scrap of gold or gold-clad metal only for the secondary route. Preserve legal status, source category, measured mass, gold assay, non-gold composition, and recycling system model.

• Selected flow: Waste and scrap of gold or gold-clad metal
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured net mass of accepted gold-scrap lots
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_mass_and_assay
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Elementary flows

No elementary input is prescribed. Any directly withdrawn resource must be added as its own measured elementary-flow row.

Outputs

Product flows

Reference gold product (output_gold)

Record the saleable product after final assay and weighing. Form, fineness, dimensions or particle specification, alloy composition, and platinum-plating status must match the declared reference product.

• Selected flow: Gold 4ceb691b-15cf-4775-b55e-06a0370973a7
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured net mass of conforming saleable gold product
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: exactly 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_mass_and_assay
• Sources: un-cpc-3-0-structure-2025; eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Waste flows

Refinery wastewater transferred for treatment (output_wastewater)

Record one measured wastewater stream transferred from included operations to treatment. Retain pH, mass or density conversion, dissolved/suspended metals, chloride/nitrate content, destination, and pre/post-treatment state.

• Selected flow: Wastewater d2d44ce1-c0f4-461d-9413-f4b33e0d200f
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured mass of the defined refinery wastewater stream
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_waste_records
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Metal-hydroxide sludge from wastewater neutralization (output_metal_hydroxide_sludge)

Record dewatered metal-hydroxide sludge generated by neutralizing and filtering attributable gold-refinery wastewater. Keep it separate from anode sludge, petroleum-refinery sludge, and recoverable intermediates.

• Selected flow: Metal-hydroxide sludge from gold-refinery wastewater treatment
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg wet sludge
• Amount rule: measured wet mass with dry-matter fraction and destination recorded
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_waste_records
• Sources: fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Elementary flows

Fossil carbon dioxide to air (emission_carbon_dioxide_fossil)

Record direct fossil carbon dioxide from combustion within included operations. Exclude upstream electricity emissions.

• Selected flow: carbon dioxide (fossil) 08a91e70-3ddc-11dd-923d-0050c2490048
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: calculated direct fossil CO2 from measured fuel use and documented carbon/oxidation basis, or measured stack mass
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Fuel inventory (fuel_inventory)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_energy_and_fuel_records
• Sources: fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

Hydrogen chloride to air (emission_hydrogen_chloride_to_air)

Record measured post-abatement hydrogen chloride released from included refinery stacks when chloride operations apply.

• Selected flow: hydrogen chloride fe0acd60-3ddc-11dd-aab0-0050c2490048
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured post-abatement stack release integrated over the reporting period
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_stack_emission_records
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Chlorine to air (emission_chlorine_to_air)

Record measured post-abatement chlorine when chlorine operations apply. Select a UUID only after the actual air compartment is established.

• Selected flow: Chlorine emitted to air
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: measured post-abatement stack release integrated over the reporting period
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_stack_emission_records
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Nitrogen dioxide to air (emission_nitrogen_dioxide_to_air)

Record nitrogen-oxide monitoring as nitrogen dioxide mass only when the method reports that basis. Do not substitute nitrite.

• Selected flow: Nitrogen dioxide emitted to air
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg NO2
• Amount rule: measured post-abatement nitrogen dioxide release integrated over the reporting period
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: per 1 kg reference gold product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_stack_emission_records
• Sources: eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

7. Allocation and Co-product Handling

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
allocation_rule_1	separately_metered_operations	Avoid allocation by subdividing and directly assigning measured inputs, wastes, and emissions to the operation and lot that produced them.	fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020
allocation_rule_2	inseparable_multi_output_operations	When gold and other valuable metals are inseparable at the measurement point, report mass allocation and economic allocation based on documented contemporaneous net values as sensitivity cases; identify the primary case and retain masses, assays, prices, currency, date, and calculations.	fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020
allocation_rule_3	internal_recovery_and_rework	Return internally recovered gold-bearing residues to the mass balance once without treating them as a new external input or avoided product. Exported material receives a separate verified product or waste flow.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
allocation_rule_4	recycled_feed	Declare the recycling system model for gold scrap and keep upstream collection or avoided-primary-production credit outside the physical foreground inventory unless the boundary is explicitly expanded.	fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020

8. Foreground Data Collection, Calculation, and Quality Rules

Data Collection Protocols

protocol_id	process_id	flow_role	record_type	raw_fields	collection_method	unit	frequency	temporal_coverage	site_scope	aggregation_rule	quality_evidence
cp_material_mass_and_assay	gold_refining_and_forming	accepted feed, product, and contained-gold balance	scale record and laboratory assay	lot_id; time; gross_mass; tare_mass; net_mass; dry_fraction; Au_assay; other_assays; assay_method; sample_id; form; disposition	Calibrated weighing and documented representative sampling/assay for each lot	kg; mass fraction	Every lot	Full reporting period	Receiving, intermediate, and dispatch points	Calculate contained metal by lot before period aggregation	Scale calibration; sampling plan; laboratory QA/QC; chain of custody; reconciliation
cp_energy_and_fuel_records	gold_refining_and_forming	electricity, natural gas, and direct fossil CO2	meter, invoice, and fuel specification	meter_id; readings; unit; time; allocation_driver; gas_conditions; carbon_factor; oxidation_basis	Read calibrated meters, reconcile invoices, and assign only included operations	MJ; kWh; m3	At least monthly and at campaign change	Full reporting period	Included production and control equipment	Sum each carrier, subtract documented exports, normalize to product, and calculate direct CO2 separately	Calibration; invoices; reconciliation; fuel specification
cp_gas_reagent_records	gold_refining_and_forming	oxygen, sulfur dioxide, and chlorine	flow meter, tank/cylinder issue, or invoice	identity; purity; state; mass_or_volume; reference_conditions; issue_quantity; operation; lot_id	Reconcile delivery and issue records to operation and campaign	kg; m3	Each delivery or issue	Full reporting period	Included refining operations	Sum each gas separately by consuming route	Calibration; supplier certificate; stock reconciliation
cp_water_records	gold_refining_and_forming	fresh process water	water meter and transfer record	meter_id; source; readings; unit; density; operation; recycled_return	Meter fresh water separately from recycled water	kg; m3	At least monthly	Full reporting period	Included supply points	Convert volume only with documented density; prevent recycled-water double count	Calibration; water balance; invoice or abstraction record
cp_reagent_records	gold_refining_and_forming	liquid and solid reagents	purchase, stock, batch, and dosing records	identity; concentration; grade; state; opening_stock; receipts; closing_stock; issued; returns; operation; lot_id	Reconcile stock change and dosing for each chemical separately	kg product; kg active	Each batch with monthly reconciliation	Full reporting period	Reagent stores and dosing points	Use opening plus receipts minus closing minus returns; report product and active basis separately	Supplier certificate; stock reconciliation; calibrated dosing record
cp_waste_records	gold_refining_and_forming	wastewater and hydroxide sludge	meter/scale, analysis, and transfer manifest	stream_id; stage; mass_or_volume; density; pH; dry_fraction; metals; anions; destination; waste_code; date	Meter each defined stream and retain representative analysis and transfer evidence	kg; m3; mass fraction	Each transfer or continuous total	Full reporting period	Attributable treatment transfers	Aggregate each stream by treatment state and destination; prevent pre/post-treatment double count	Calibration; laboratory QA/QC; manifest; treatment log
cp_stack_emission_records	gold_refining_and_forming	post-abatement HCl, chlorine, and NO2	monitor or stack test plus operating log	source_id; pollutant; concentration; flow; reference_conditions; correction; duration; method; detection_limit; hours; abatement_status	Pair concentration with dry-gas flow and operating time using the applicable method	kg; mg/Nm3; Nm3/h	Permit frequency or continuous	Representative operating states in the reporting period	Each attributable emission point	Calculate mass by source and sum only like substances on the same chemical basis	Calibration; accredited report; detection-limit rule; operating logs

Calculation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Formula or rule	Inputs	Output	source_ids
calc_rule_1	contained gold by lot	contained_Au_kg = net_mass_kg × dry_matter_fraction × Au_assay_mass_fraction	lot mass, dry fraction, assay	kg contained Au	mass-balance-identity
calc_rule_2	normalized inventory	normalized_exchange = reporting_period_exchange ÷ conforming_output_gold_kg	period exchange and product mass	exchange per 1 kg gold	mass-balance-identity
calc_rule_3	stock-reconciled reagent use	reagent_use = opening_stock + receipts - closing_stock - documented_returns	stock and issue records	kg product and active substance	mass-balance-identity
calc_rule_4	direct fossil carbon dioxide	Calculate from measured fuel using documented carbon content and oxidation basis; exclude biogenic and upstream fuel-cycle emissions.	fuel quantity, energy basis, carbon factor, oxidation basis	kg fossil CO2	mass-balance-identity
calc_rule_5	measured stack release	pollutant_mass = concentration × dry-gas flow × operating duration under consistent reference conditions and documented below-detection treatment	concentration, gas flow, duration, correction	kg pollutant	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
calc_rule_6	gold mass-balance closure	closure = (contained_Au_inputs - contained_Au_outputs_and_documented_losses) ÷ contained_Au_inputs; investigate rather than force discrepancies outside the approved control limit	assayed inputs, products, residues, work-in-progress change, losses	dimensionless reconciliation	mass-balance-identity

Data Quality Requirements

requirement_id	Applies to	Requirement	Evidence
dq_1	product and feed identity	Preserve lot-level form, assay, fineness, impurity/alloy profile, source route, legal status, and chain of custody; do not merge doré and scrap routes before route-level reporting.	Weighing, assay, supplier declaration, and lot genealogy
dq_2	completeness	Cover all included operations and all applicable atomic rows for the reporting period; explain every missing or zero route-specific row.	Signed process-map and ledger/utility reconciliation
dq_3	temporal and geographic representativeness	Use one coherent period, normally at least 12 consecutive months unless a complete campaign is more representative; identify facility and upstream dataset geographies.	Reporting calendar, production log, and metadata
dq_4	metrology and laboratory quality	Use calibrated instruments and documented sampling, detection limits, laboratory QA/QC, and uncertainty for assay and emissions.	Calibration, sampling plans, control charts, accredited reports
dq_5	technology and controls	Declare route, operating state, abatement, wastewater treatment, internal recycling, and exceptional events represented.	Process flow diagram, batch sheets, control logs, incident records
dq_6	allocation transparency	Retain unallocated measurements and all mass/economic allocation inputs for reproduction and sensitivity comparison.	Allocation workbook, masses/assays, price sources, dates

9. Validation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
validation_rule_1	reference_product	Confirm output_gold equals 1 kg after normalization and that form, fineness, alloy composition, and platinum-plating status are within the category.	un-cpc-3-0-structure-2025
validation_rule_2	inventory_identity	Confirm each card is one atomic exchange; UUID rows match the stated identity/property/unit and official Chinese name; unresolved rows remain UUID-empty.
validation_rule_3	route_consistency	Reject a route-specific reagent or emission without the corresponding declared operation, or an operation whose applicable measured inputs, wastes, or releases are omitted without explanation.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020
validation_rule_4	mass_and_assay_balance	Recalculate contained-gold inputs, outputs, work-in-progress change, residues, and measured losses; investigate rather than force discrepancies.	mass-balance-identity
validation_rule_5	environmental_control_state	Confirm wastewater identifies treatment state/destination and air releases are post-abatement with actual compartment and monitoring basis.	eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
validation_rule_6	data_provenance	Confirm every normalized amount traces to the named protocol and same-period records, with conversions and allocation reproducible.
validation_rule_7	range_use	Do not apply an external empirical range until at least two independent, original-text-verified, boundary-compatible sources support synthesis for the route and product state.

10. Published Dataset Profile

Field	Value
dataset_role	Foreground production dataset eligible as a secondary_dataset or background_dataset after review
downstream_use	Product, process, and lifecyclemodel records for declared gold forms and route-specific cradle-to-gate studies
allowed_use	Use for the represented facility, feed route, technology, product form/fineness, geography, period, allocation case, and boundary
excluded_use	Not a generic mine-to-gold dataset or proxy for finished jewellery/electronics/coins, another recycling model, or another refining route without review
required_metadata	PCR id/version; product form/fineness; alloy/plating status; feed route/legal status; geography; period; process route; boundary; upstream datasets; recycling model; allocation; UUID resolutions; owner/review status
required_quality_disclosure	Coverage; mass/assay reconciliation; metrology; representativeness; cut-offs; allocation sensitivity; unresolved UUIDs; uncertainty; abnormal events; environmental-control state
update_trigger	Change in feed route, technology, controls, product form/fineness, allocation, geography, supplier mix, or period; material correction; resolution of open UUID or range evidence

11. Data Sources

Source id	Type	Reference	Used for
un-cpc-3-0-structure-2025	Official guidance (official_guidance)	United Nations Statistics Division, CPC Version 3.0 Structure, 30 June 2025, https://unstats.un.org/unsd/classifications/Econ/Download/In%20Text/CPC_Ver_3.0_Structure_30Jun2025.csv (retrieved 2026-09-04)	Official CPC 41320 identity and market forms
eu-jrc-nfm-bref-2017	Official guidance (official_guidance)	European Commission Joint Research Centre, Best Available Techniques Reference Document for the Non-Ferrous Metals Industries, 2017, https://bureau-industrial-transformation.jrc.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2020-01/JRC107041_NFM_bref2017.pdf (retrieved 2026-09-04)	Feedstocks, gold routes, reagents, controls, emissions and wastewater monitoring
fritz-gold-scrap-recycling-2020	Literature (literature)	Fritz, B.; Aichele, C.; Schmidt, M. Environmental impact of high-value gold scrap recycling. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 25, 1930-1941 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-020-01809-6 (retrieved 2026-09-04)	Recycled-gold boundary, aqua-regia process, reagents, wastewater/sludge, foreground collection, and allocation