MINERAL RESOURCE OF THE MONTH: INDUSTRIAL SAND AND GRAVEL

Industrial sand and gravel, also known as silica sand, is one of the most important nonmetallic minerals in the world. Industrial sand and gravel is a mining industry term used for sands that have a very high percentage of silicon dioxide, or greater than 95 percent quartz. Beverage containers, fiberglass insulation, and fiber-optic cables among others are just some of today's many products produced from industrial sand and gravel. But one of the most important issues affecting the industrial sand and gravel industry in recent years has been the potential effect of crystalline silica on human health because long-term exposures to crystalline silica can cause lung disease silicosis.