Team members Juliana Prendergast and Natalie Casson
Overview
Quartz is an abundant mineral on the earth; it is the second most abundant mineral on the planet, and it can be found on different reserves scattered across many continents. Quartz will form into hexagonal shapes because of its specific chemical formula and how it bonds. These crystal formations can occur in many different types of rock: it can form in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. In its pure crystal form, it is made up of silicon dioxide (SiO2) creating a clear crystal. You can tell how pure a quartz crystal is by observing its clarity. The more clearly the crystal is the more pure it is, and the opposite is true as well. When it is opaque you know there are more impurities within the crystal. On the Moh’s hardness scale, it has been universally ranked as a 7 (with diamond ranking at 10). It is resistant to weather as well. This makes it a very resilient and tough mineral. It is also pretty accessible to a large range of countries because it is so prevalent, making it a commonly utilized mineral.
Quartz is ubiquitous in its nature. It is found worldwide so it is very accessible to many places. Other silicates are its only substitute. It is also both chemically and physically resistant—making it a very durable mineral to many types of wear. It is used in both a practical way and as a luxury good. We are all aware of the luxury uses: quartz crystals are aesthetically appealing making them very popularly used of jewelry and other gemstones. It may also be found in household objects, like counter tops, where its durability and visual appeal may both be used. Quartz sand, however, with its practical durability and clarity, has been used for many different types of glasses. It is used in the production of container glass, flat plate glass, specialty glass, and fiberglass. It also has practical uses within construction of other objects and material, using its strength to perform tasks like sand blasting, making scouring cleansers, grinding media, and creating grit for sanding and sawing. Quartz is also used within hydro fracking. It’ll be pushed down the fracking wells in order to manipulate gas release. One final common use for quartz is the production of crystal oscillators. Crystal oscillators create electrical signals with precise frequencies, which allows for time to be kept in objects like watches and clocks, radios, tv, computers, phones and GPS’s. The durability, strength, and beauty of quartz crystal allows it to have this diverse range of uses.
The environmental impacts of producing quartz are similar to those of any other mining operation. One of the largest effects that mining has is to the water quality of the area. There is contamination that happens in local water sources because of acid that leaches into the water and sediments that increase the turbidity. The quality of the water diminishes causing many of aquatic species to die of. Mining for quartz is also extremely water intensive, stressing local water supplies. Another concerning impact of mining is the overburden that it creates. Overburden is the material that has to be removed in order to extract the wanted mineral. The overburden changes the landscape and loose rocks and soil can get into local bodies of water disturbing the aquatic ecosystem. The water and landscape aren’t the only things affected: the atmosphere can also be harmed. The dust that is created by the mining production can contain toxic heavy metals which contaminate the air. The wildlife in the area is greatly affected by a mining site. Many chemicals are released through this process including cyanide. These chemicals find their way into tailing pond where they not only leach into the soil but also attract local waterfowl poisoning them. The toxic chemicals are introduced into the food chain and affect every part of it. Not to mention that Quartz is labeled as a human carcinogen and miners of Quartz have been found to have high numbers of lung cancer. Mining of quartz could have potential threats to the well being of the ecosystem as well as harming the people collecting the mineral.
Minas Gerias Brazil
Minas Gerais is a landlocked state in south west Brazil. It is the fourth largest state and second most populated in Brazil. The area is 226,460 square miles and is commonly known as the Brazilian Highlands. The average rainfall for most of the area is 40 to 60 inches a year. There is diverse geography in Minas Gerais ranging from mountain ranges that go over 9000 feet to tropical forests in the north which shift into woodlands and savannas. The two major mountain ranges are the Mantiqueira and Espinhaco mountains. The mountains create a clear separation between the coast and the inner highlands. In these mountains are where much of the minerals of Minas Gerais are found. The eastern part of the state once was covered by the Atlantic Forest but have been deforested for wood, cities, and farms. There are three river basins in the state. In the north there is the Sao Francisco river which flows northwards. In the south there is the Parana river which eventually flows into Paraguay and Argentina. There are also rivers that flow into the atlantic like the Rio Doce and Rio Jequitinhonha. Because of the steep slopes of the mountains the rivers are able to be utilized for hydroelectric power. This power has become extremely important in the expansion of mining for Quartz and other minerals.
The name Minas Gerais comes from Portuguese meaning “General Mines”.The population of Minas Gerais is 19,597,330 as of 2010. The majority of the population practices Roman Catholicism. Most people are religious and follow strict traditional views. While mining is the largest source of wealth for the economy and agriculture is the largest employer. The Cerrados were historically used of cattle and other livestock and now are also used to cultivate gains, especially soybeans. Mining has been an important throughout the entire history of the state. Minerals was why the region was first settled. Gold was discovered in 1698 and diamonds in 1729. These discoveries sparked a mad rush to the mines. The areas the mines are in are not easily habitable so minerals are the main reason there was a rush to move there. The people who live in these regions are proud of the minerals that are found there. There is even a tourist industry based around mining. You can go to the mining towns are see the historical sites and learn about the old mines.While some of the population, mostly of Portuguese descent, the indigenous people have protested the harvesting of quartz and other minerals because mining changes the geography so much
In more modern times minerals haven’t been as important as the high-grade iron that has been found in the mines. Still today Minas Gerais supplies more than half of the mineral production in Brazil and is the major supplier for the USA for quartz. The mines employ many of the lower income people in the area in modern times. There has been questions over the quality of working conditions recently. The government is concerned with the prevention of modern day slavery and trying to help the mine workers. One of the companies which mines quartz, Ouro Verde has been in legal trouble because of the poor working conditions that the mines have. Some workers have said that in a period of a year they have not gotten any days off not even for Christmas. Being such a religious community this can be just as emotionally harmful as the work is physically harmful. Mining for quartz has been a factor of life in Minas Gerais over many time periods and continues to be an important economic and cultural factor today.
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state within the United States of America. It’s located in southern USA, and it borders Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The capital of Arkansas is Little Rock. The state has a population of 2,978,204. It has a generally middle age population (with the median age being 37.4), and the population is predominantly white. The white population makes up 77%, with a smaller black population making up 15.4%, Hispanic/Latino population making up 6.4%, other race making up 3.4%, two or more races making up 2.0%, Asian making up 1.2%, and American Indian making up 0.8%. The gender breakdown is a little more even with 49% being male and 51% female. Containing 75 counties, Arkansas makes up 52,068 sq mi. The state is traditionally leaned republican within US and state governments, and has historically leaned towards more conservative views.
Arkansas is a state that lucky with prosperous and rich lands. It includes many lush forests like the Ozark national forest and the Ouachita national forest. The topography varies quite a bit in the state; the altitude can vary a fair amount and the surface of the state is covered in valleys, peaks, forest, and flatter prairies. Arkansas also contains many important land masses that have become essential to the economies and transportation like mountains (for example the the Ouachita), hot springs like the Hot Spring area and Mammoth springs, lakes like the 9 acre lake of Mammoth springs, and large rivers like the Mississippi. Arkansas is also fortunate enough to be very rich in natural resources. These resources have made it a pretty central and essential location to the production of many different materials in the US. For example, Arkansas is rich with natural gases and petroleum. It also produces many elements and minerals like bromine and silica stones (which is essentially Quartz). The Quartz belt runs through the mountains and is contains many mines.
Arkansas and the minerals and materials produced in it—quartz for example—rely heavily on the topography and important features of the land. Having such rich natural resources means it is essential to production of many natural gases and materials. For example, Arkansas supplies a lot amount of bromine which is used in domestic appliances, technology, and plastics. This means that many other states are dependent on Arkansas and its mineral and gas resources; for example, throughout the 20th century Arkansas supplied 90% of Bauxite which is used in production of aluminium. This means the economy heavily relies on these minerals. They also provide jobs to 0.8% of the population, so though comparatively there are other important employers, it brings in a lot of money and jobs to the people of the state which benefits the economy and the people individually. Quartz has historical importance to the state as well; native Americans would utilize the strength of the mineral to build tools and spearheads. Mining of Quartz started in the 1800’s, and since has grown. The mining has spiked in times of need (for example, crystal radio oscillators in WWII), which consequently spikes the economy and benefits the people. The mines were used more and more in the 20th century with the use of more technology. Today, there is also a social and economic importance of the historically important quartz mines. Tourism around the gem has become a big part of the counties reliant on the mines. People are drawn in to see the mines and purchase the crystals, and the people of Arkansas really pride themselves on their mining and its historical importance.
Comparison and Conclusion
Brazil and Arkansas both heavily benefiting from the resources their lands possess. Both contain very rich resources, yet those resources vary. Brazil contains many different types of minerals and the economies rely heavily on them. Arkansas has minerals as well but also heavily relies on their natural gas supply as a major source of income. Both Brazil and Arkansas are said to produce some of the purest Quartz crystals in the world, yet they different in their mechanisms of production. The production process in Arkansas posses the usual dangers of mining, yet the miners are treated relatively fairly despite the tough work. The mining industries of Brazil have horrible human treatment and the government profits a significant amount more from the industries than the people do. These mines in Brazil have been exploited since colonial days. The people of Arkansas also utilize the tourism aspects of the crystal to further profit from this mineral and its production.
Quartz is used in many everyday products so understanding and appreciating the places it is produced is something that needs to happen. Quartz must be mined which can affect the around the mining site. The landscapes of these places will be permanently changed and wildlife will suffer from the mining process. People should think about this when consuming products which contain quartz. Although quartz is very abundant in the crust there isn’t a lot of naturally forming high grade quartz available. This means that it takes a lot of time, effort and labor to get just a little bit of the mineral. When consuming product with quartz in them people should also think about the labor that is used to mine the quartz. Quartz is a human carcinogen so the workers are in risk when ever they are in the mines. In Brazil conditions of mining parallel that of modern day slavery.
When situating quartz in places one realizes how trade essential to the world’s economy. The products that use quartz in them rely on economic trade. Resources are universally, and in this day and age need to be, a shared commodity. Quartz may be ubiquitous, but it is used in a huge variety of products means it has a very high demand due to its strength and durability. Mining can and has historically been an inherently dangerous process to both the people involved and the environments surrounding the mines. You can see how vastly these differences are between Brazil’s dangerous mining industries, and the more tame ones used within Arkansas. Thus mining is a process that has to be heavily regulated because of it inherent dangers and the potential for exploitation. Quartz is an important mineral in today’s society which is obsessed with technology but we must remember to think about the places from which this mineral comes from.
References
http://geology.com/minerals/quartz.shtml
http://ecorestoration.montana.edu/mineland/guide/problem/impacts/cyanide.htm
https://www.britannica.com/place/Minas-Gerais
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/nov/25/brazils-mining-tragedy-dam-preventable-disaster-samarco-vale-bhp-billiton
http://www.v-brazil.com/information/geography/minas-gerais/geography.html
https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/silica/mcs-2017-quart.pdf
http://www.infoplease.com/us-states/arkansas.htmlhttps://ballotpedia.org/Partisan_composition_of_state_houses
http://www.history.com/topics/us-states/arkansashttp://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/arland.htm http://cber.uark.edu/files/The_Economic_Impact_of_the_Oil_and_Gas_Industry_in_Arkansas.pdf
https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/state/980500.pdfhttp://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1173