BABASAHEB BHIMRAO

AMBEDKAR UNIVERSITY
LUCKNOW

ASSIGNMENT ON TOPIC
HAZARDOUS MINERALS

Course Title: Minerology and

Crystallography

SUBMITTED TO
Mr. Abhishek Kumar Madhesiya

SUBMITTED BY
Kumar Abhinav
M.Sc. Ist semester
Session: 2018-2019
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
 HAZARDOUS MINERALS

Introduction
Hazardous minerals are those minerals that present a certain risk to public health. Among
these minerals are asbestos and silica. In addition, other minerals contain toxic metals such as
mercury and lead. The most common diseases caused by hazardous minerals are cancer and
neurological disorders. The toxic effects of some minerals, such as lead or mercury, can be
irreversible if left untreated.

A mineral by itself, or its components, can be toxic. Typical examples of the former are
asbestos, selenium, and silica minerals; typical examples of the latter are minerals containing
such toxic chemicals as arsenic, lead, mercury, or cadmium. Six fibrous silicate minerals are
defined as asbestos: crocidolite, amosite, chrysotile, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite.
The most hazardous of the asbestos minerals are crocidolite and amosite. The best known in
the United States is chrysotile, a magnesium silicate. Asbestos, an excellent insulator, was
widely used in construction beginning in the nineteenth century; it has since been banned in
Europe and is regulated in the United States. Before the discovery of asbestos’s toxicity, it
was a common component of drywall, fire blankets, fireproof clothing for firefighters,
thermal pipe insulation, and gas mask filters.

The toxicity of other minerals such as talc and vermiculite is related to asbestos
contamination. Talc is a magnesium silicate mineral with the chemical formula Mg3 Si4
O10(OH)2 . It is widely used in a form of talcum powder for preventing diaper rash and in
surgical gloves.

Vermiculite is a mineral from the group of mica (sheet) minerals with approximate chemical
formula Mg+2, Fe+2, Fe+3)3 [(AlSi)4 O10]·(OH)2 ·4H2 O. It was widely used in
construction for fire protection and for the insulation of pipes and roofs. Other potentially
hazardous minerals are silica and selenium. Silica, or silicon dioxide (chemical formula SiO2
), can be found in nature as mineral quartz or sand. Silica is a common food additive. For
example, table salt contains silica. Silica also is a primary component of diatomaceous earth,
which is used as a filter aid, commonly in backyard pools. Selenium is both a chemical
element and a mineral. This mineral is mainly used to manufacture glass, making it green or
red. Selenium also is used in the electronics industry. Several minerals contain such toxic
metals as lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic. These metals, also called heavy
metals, are poisonous. The main mineral containing lead is galena (PbS), which is up to 86.6
percent lead. Other common lead minerals are cerrusite (PbCO3 ) and anglesite (PbSO4 ).
Lead, which can be easily extracted from its minerals, was known to ancient Egyptians and
Babylonians and is mentioned in the Bible. Since Roman times, people have used lead for
plumbing and as a food and drink preservative. During the Middle Ages, lead was used for
roofing.

The major use of lead today is for batteries. Lead also is used as a protective shield against
radiation. One lead mineral that was historically used as a natural dye is chrome yellow,
which is toxic. Chrome yellow is a natural yellow pigment made of lead chromate (PbCrO4 ).
Cinnabar (HgS) is the most common mineral of mercury. It has been known for some time
and has been an object of fascination because of its appearance. Mercury was used since
Roman times as a natural dye. Dentists use it today to make amalgams to fill cavities,
although not without controversy. Several rare minerals contain the metal cadmium.
Cadmium is used in industry for making some types of paints and batteries and in
electroplating. Chromium is mined as chromite (FeCr2 O4 ). It is used in metallurgy;
stainless steel usually contains chromium. Chromium also is used as a paint pigment (school
buses are painted in chrome yellow) and for tanning leather (such as for sofas). Another
heavy metal is arsenic, which is not exactly a metal but has several metallic properties.
Arsenic occurs in many minerals. The most common arsenic minerals are realgar, orpiment,
and arsenopyrite, which are frequently sources of arsenic in industry. Realgar is known as the
ruby of arsenic and was used in ancient Rome as a red paint pigment. It is now used
occasionally for killing weeds, insects, and rodents. Orpiment also was used as a pigment in
painting in ancient times. However, it also was used in poison arrows, as its toxic nature was
well known.

Health Effects By Hazardous Minerals

If asbestos disintegrates, the microscopic thread-like fibers are released into the environment
and can then be inhaled or otherwise ingested (through drinking water, for example), causing
lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.

Mercury is highly toxic and can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled as mercury vapor.
Mercury may also enter the food chain and become a health hazard to animals and humans.
While it is poisonous to humans, we use it in fluorescent lighting, including compact
fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which is widely used in homes and businesses due to their
longevity. Special care should be taken when disposing of burned out fluorescent bulbs.

These minerals can cause respiratory problems when inhaled, particularly at mine sites that
are popular for motorized recreational vehicle use. Additionally, water discharged from metal
mine openings may contain these same minerals in solution and present a health hazard to
humans and animals. Arsenic is especially dangerous when it contaminates groundwater and
poisons drinking water.

Long-term exposure to this mineral in drinking water or food can result in cancer or skin
lesions, and may contribute to developmental disorders, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

Disease caused by direct exposure to uranium is relatively rare, although workers who
produce phosphate fertilizer, or residents who work or live in close proximity to nuclear
weapon testing sites, uranium mines, or uranium processing or enrichment plants are at risk.
Uranium can enter the body by inhaling contaminated dust or by ingesting it through
contaminated water and food. However, the primary danger posed by naturally occurring
uranium is the release of radon gas into the environment.

Radon is carcinogenic and a prominent cause of lung cancer. Radon is colorless, odorless,
and tasteless, making it exceptionally hazardous, as its presence is revealed only by specific
detectors. Structures built over radon-emitting granites can trap and concentrate the gas,
putting the inhabitants at extreme risk.

Management of Hazardous Minerals

Humans have been mining toxic minerals for thousands of years and have been poisoned by
these minerals in the process. Several Indian government agencies, including the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Toxicology Program, have data on
toxic minerals that are available to the public, health practitioners, scientists, and industry
workers. The EPA requires that containers and vehicles in which toxic minerals are stored or
carried display signs identifying the hazard. Public fears of developing cancer from toxic
minerals have led to regulations that request the minerals’ removal from public and private
places. Scientists normally conduct tests on animals to identify toxic effects and hazardous
doses (the level of exposure and the amount of toxic mineral). Humans are able to deal with
low doses of toxic minerals. The level in which toxic effects are not observed is the threshold
level. Higher levels of toxic minerals can also be tolerated if the time of exposure is short.
Toxicologists normally know the threshold level of acute diseases caused by minerals.
Scientists, however, do not know the threshold level of toxic minerals for cancer.

References
Hilary S. Franz , Natural resources, www.dnr.wa.gov

Toxic Minerals, Sergei A. Markov , : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282672026

,9/10/2015