QUARTZBy Sami Allam & Woo Byun

Facts Quartz: Is the most common mineral found on the

surface of the Earth. A main ingredient in igneous,

metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Is found in an impressive range of

varieties and colors and goes by many names for these different varieties.

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1173

More Facts Quartz is composed

of silicon and oxygen and is common throughout the world, although most of it is not crystallized. Crystallization occurs when the silicon dioxide or silica is heated.

http://www.fis.unipr.it/~bersani/minerali/quartz-corchia2.jpghttp://www.bluemooncrystals.com/

History

A quartz arrowhead that is estimated to be over 11,000 years old was discovered at the Mount Blakely Dam site in Garland County

Crystallized quartz has several properties that make it valuable. It is capable of steady vibrations, also called oscillations, that can be used to regulate the flow of electricity. 

http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/quartz11.jpg

http://www.rockhoundingar.com/quartz.html

Quartz mining

Arkansas, USA is the largest quartz mine in the U.S

One of the famous mines would be the Deckard mountain Quartz deposit.

http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/quartz3.jpg

www.mindat.org/loc-10520.html

Arkansas Woo and I headed to

Arkansas to find out the affects of Quartz mining on the population. We learned that mining Quartz lets out a dust called silica. This dust causes many diseases including long disease.

http://oddiments.com/Photo-Gallery/albums/album61/4_Ell_in_AK.sized.jpg

Silica and Silicosis Arkansas miners

were exposed to this dust every moment they mined for Quartz. Silicosis is a very serious and fatal disease. The people that own these mines could care less about any of their employees.

http://www.wku.edu/Library/onlinexh/sanders/cartoons/nation/coal_mining_safety.jpg

Symptoms of Silicosis

This chest x-ray shows coal worker's lungs. There are diffuse, small, light areas on both sides (1 to 3 mm) in all parts of the lungs

https://ssl.gstatic.com/health/5d3c282f3e4cca3768715b775261030d/ref/graphics/1599.jpg

https://health.google.com/health/ref/graphic/1599

Random facts

The strength of a synthetic quartz crystal drops rapidly at 400°C

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/quartz-watch-crystal.jpg

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1173

During World War II there was a demand for Arkansas quartz for radio oscillators for the military

http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/minerals/pix/quartz1.jpg

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1173

Symptoms Silicosis is a respiratory disease caused by breathing

in (inhaling) silica dust. Symptoms Chronic cough Shortness of breath with exercise, usually in patients

who have progressive massive fibrosis Other symptoms of this disease, especially in acute

silicosis: Cough Fever Severe breathing difficulty Weight losshttps://health.google.com/health/ref/Silicosis

New Safety Standards The mine

owner of Arkansas were forced to develop better safety standards for their miners.

http://www.corbisimages.com/images/BE053761.jpg?size=67&uid=14463734-D287-4129-9407-7014C3A1BB97

http://www.silicosis.com/exposure/index.php

Mining Safety

The best thing to prevent you from silicosis is wearing respirators, and eye protection

http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/8201/thumbs/s-MINE-SAFETY-large.jpg

http://www.silicosis.com/respirators/index.php

Work cited http://www.lawcore.com/silicosis-silica/ http://www.workershealth.com.au/facts060.html http://geology.about.com/od/minerals/a/aboutquartz.htm http://www.silicosis.com/ Howard, Darcy, and Mike Howard. Collecting Crystals: The

Guide to Quartz in Arkansas. Little Rock: A&I Studio Press, 2009

Rockhounding Arkansas. http://www.rockhoundingar.com (accessed November 7, 2009).

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1173

https://health.google.com/health/ref/Silicosis http://www.silicosis.com/respirators/index.php