Lab 04 Hazardous Minerals Ruben Ibanez

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Feb 20, 2024

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Lab 08 Hazardous Minerals: Washington Department of Natural Resources This lab will require that you visit the website for Washington State Department of Natural Resources and navigate to the following hyperlink: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/programs-and-services/geology/geologic-hazards/hazardous-minerals Click on each of the following icon and tabs, as well as the Washington State Department of Health, where directed or visible on the homepage and answer the questions below. The Hazardous Minerals Icon has four tabs that each need to be viewed and the following questions answers Asbestos TAB 1. Asbestos is a general term for? Asbestos is a number of minerals containing serpentine and amphibole that have related properties. 2. Why are asbestiform minerals dangerous? They are dangerous because they are made up of long fibrous crystals that are very thin and which makes them dangerous. 3. What asbestiform mineral is a member of the Serpentine Group? Chrysotile 4. What 7 asbestiform minerals are members of the Amphibole Group? The 7 asbestiform minerals are chrysotile, tremolite, actinolite, riebeck, anthophyllite and amosite. 5. What rocks is asbestos frequently associated with? Ultramafic and Ultrabasic rocks 6. Exactly what are the health effects of asbestos-related disease? The health effects related to asbestos diseases are lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.

Go to https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/contaminants/asbestos to answer the following questions. 1. What are 6 factors that need to be considered to determine whether you will develop health problems when exposed to asbestos? How long and how frequently you were exposed How long it’s been since your exposure started How much you were exposed. If you smoke The size and type of asbestos you were exposed to Other pre-existing lung conditions. 2. What are the symptoms of an asbestos-related disease? Most people don’t have any signs or symptoms from asbestos for 10-20 years or more after exposure. When they do show they are similar to other health problems only a doctor can tell you if your symptoms are asbestos related. 3. Explain 4 types of asbestos related diseases, what are some early symptoms an individual might have, and what late-stage symptoms individuals will have with each related disease type? Asbestosis is scarring of the lungs which is caused by very high exposure levels over a long period of time. Smoking increases the risk of developing asbestosis. Symptoms include progressive shortness of breath, a persistent cough, and chest pain. rest. Pleural changes or pleural plaques thickening and hardening of the pleura. Symptoms include shortness of breath when exercising or at rest. Lung cancer, Cigarette smoking combined with asbestos exposure greatly increases the likelihood of lung cancer. Some late-stage symptoms can include chronic cough, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, and coughing up blood Mesothelioma is a rare cancer mostly associated with asbestos exposure. Some late-stage symptoms include chest pain, persistent shortness of breath, and unexplained weight loss. Coughing up blood isn't common. 4. Where is naturally occurring asbestos found in Washington? On Sumas Mountain in Whatcom County, there is a landslide deposit that contains naturally occurring asbestos. The asbestos is transported and deposited with the sediment into Swift Creek and Sumas River, north to the Canadian border, as this region erodes.

5. If an area is confirmed to have asbestos, what precautions should be taken? It depends. If soil and rock that contain naturally occurring asbestos isn't disturbed and stirred into the air, then there isn't a health risk. If naturally occurring asbestos fibers are stirred into the air by human activities, such as construction, then approaches can be taken to limit exposures. For guidance on reducing potential exposures, see EPA's Approaches for Reducing Exposure to Naturally Occurring Asbestos (PDF) . Mercury TAB 1. What exactly is mercury called by miners? They called mercury quicksilver. 2. Explain the various health effects of mercury? Mercury is toxic and it can immerse itself on our skin through direct contact. It can also be inhaled through our lungs which has devastating effects. Mercury can also enter our bodies by the food we eat such as fish with high mercury contact in large quantities. Go to https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/contaminants/mercury to answer the following questions. 1. What exactly is mercury? Mercury is a naturally occurring metal, a useful chemical in some products, and a potential health risk 2. Explain 6 ways an individual can be exposed to mercury. Eating mercury-contaminated fish is the primary way people are exposed to mercury. Inhaling mercury vapor from mercury spills, broken fluorescent bulbs, and air pollution. Skin absorption through contact with liquid mercury or mercury-containing creams and ointments. Religious, ritual, or folk medicine use of elemental mercury. Some influenza vaccines contain thimerosal, a mercury preservative used to prevent contamination of vaccines. Dental amalgam fillings combine elemental mercury with other metals. 3. What are 4 factors that determine how severe the health effects are from mercury exposure? 4. Form of mercury

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Dose Health and age of the person Route of exposure 5. What are the methylmercury effects for fetuses, infants, and children? For fetuses, infants, and children, the primary health effect of methylmercury is impaired neurological development 6. Explain the issues of pregnant women eating mercury contaminated fish upon the fetuses growing brain and nervous system? Impacts on cognitive thinking, memory, attention, language, and fine motor and visual spatial skills have been seen in children exposed to methylmercury in the womb 7. What are the health effects of elemental mercury, how can it be most problematic in the way it enters the body, how do these types of exposures occur, what are the symptoms of inhaling mercury, and are any of the symptoms irreversible? Symptoms of inhaling mercury vapors can include nausea, respiratory problems, tremors, numbness in the fingers and toes, loss of muscle control, memory loss, kidney disease, and heart problems Some of these effects can be reversible if the exposure stops, however, memory problems can be permanent. 8. Can or does mercury cause cancer? There is no human data that indicates exposure to any form of mercury causes cancer, but human data is very limited. Studies have shown that, at high doses, mercury can cause tumors in rats and mice. Arsenic TAB 1. What is arsenic generally found in association with, within a rock? Arsenic is generally associated with sulfur 2. What are 3 common arsenic minerals? The 3 common arsenic minerals are orpinment , arsenopyrite , and realgar . 3. Where are arsenic-bearing minerals commonly found?

Arsenic-bearing minerals are often found in piles of finely ground sand, or "tailings" around metal mines that had a concentrating mill. 4. Exactly how are health effects produced related to arsenic? Arsenic can cause respiratory problems when it is inhaled, this is most likely to happen in mines. Water that is discharged from metal mine openings may contain these similar minerals which can present a health hazard to animals and humans. 5. Long term exposure to arsenic in drinking water can cause what particular-health issues or problems? Exposure to arsenic in drinking water can cause cancer, skin lesions, it may give developmental disorders cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Go to https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/contaminants/arsenic to answer the following questions. 1. Why is arsenic found in the environment and what are 6 reasons for its various levels of presence? 2. Exactly how can a person become exposed to arsenic? Everyone has daily exposure to arsenic. When natural or human activities have caused greater than normal amount of arsenic to collect in the environment, the risk of developing health problems can be increased. 3. What are 3 ways an individual may be exposed to arsenic? Drinking water, eating food, or ingesting other things that contain arsenic. 4. Exactly what are the issues associated with short-term or acute exposure to large amounts of arsenic? Swallowing relatively large amounts of arsenic (even just one time) can cause mild symptoms, serious illness, or death. 5. Exactly what are the issues associated with long-term or chronic exposure to small amounts of arsenic? Long-term ingestion (greater than 6 months) of smaller amounts of arsenic that can be found in the environment has the potential to cause many different health problems. Illnesses strongly linked to this type of exposure include bladder cancer, lung cancer, non-melanoma skin cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, damage to peripheral nerves, and changes to the pattern of color or thickness of the skin.

6. Exactly how can a person prevent exposure to arsenic in drinking water? If you water contains more than 50 ppb of arsenic, we recommend you stop using it immediately. If elevated levels are detected, a public water system will rely on consulting engineers to determine the best treatment method to reduce arsenic. If elevated levels of arsenic are detected, there are some home treatment systems that use reverse osmosis, distillation, or special filtration material to reduce arsenic. 7. Exactly how can a person prevent exposure to arsenic in soil and dust? Reducing their exposure involves covering, removing, or avoiding contaminated soil, and washing children's hands and faces with soap and water when they get dirty. Reduce exposure to contaminated soil when gardening or doing yard work by dampening dusty soils (or wearing a dust mask) in dry conditions, wearing gloves, and washing up with soap and water before eating. Vegetables and fruits grown in contaminated soil should be washed thoroughly before eating. 8. Exactly how can a person prevent exposure to arsenic in treated wood? Washing children's hands after playing on CCA-treated wood can reduce potential arsenic exposure. Sealing CCA-treated wood with an oil-based stain can help reduce arsenic residues from leaching to the surface of the wood. Avoid breathing sawdust and don't burn CCA-treated wood. Uranium and Radon TAB 1. Where does uranium exist in the natural environment in Washington State? Uranium exists in small amounts in rock, soils, and water. 2. What is uraninite and exactly how is it mined? Uraninite is a mineral that has uranium. It is mined by open pit, underground, and leach mining 3. How is radon produced? Radon is produced by natural radioactive decay of uranium. 4. Is disease normally caused by exposure to Uranium? The disease caused by uranium is rare to get but people that work and live near to where the mineral is can be at risk. 5. How can Uranium enter the body?

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A way uranium can enter the body is by inhaling dust that is contaminated. Another way is by eating or drinking contaminated food and water. 6. What is primary danger from Uranium? The primary danger caused by Uranium is posed by naturally occurring uranium is release of radon gas into the environment. 7. Exactly how is radon a problem health wise? Radon causes lung cancer which makes radon a health-wise problem. 8. Why is radon difficult to detect? Radon is difficult to detect because it can only be detected by certain specific detectors. 9. What is the issue with building structures over radon-emitting granites? By building structures over radon-emitting granites it can be trap and concentrate the gas which puts inhabitants at extreme risk. 10. Where have Uranium deposits been observed in Washington State? Uranium deposits have been observed in Washington State east of Puget Sound, and mostly in the northeast quadrant of the state.

Lab 04 Hazardous Minerals Ruben Ibanez

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