Some environmental uses of Minerals

• Barite

  Hazardous wastes –weighting agent in oil well drilling mud to keep oil in the drill hole (prevents “gushers” which would contaminate soil on the surface around the oil well)
• Clays

  • Air quality – construction and industrial applications.
  • Hazardous waste disposal – solidification of organic waste and salt solutions containment of hazardous wastes by encasement or by impermeable barrier.
  • Water treatment –selective absorbance of organic contaminants from waste water removal of pain residue from water in industrial processes.
• Diatomite

  • Horticulture - non cemical insecticide.
  • Water Treatment – water by removing impurities down to 0.1 micron without the use of filtration chemicals (uses from water treatment plants to swimming pools)
• Gold

  Energy conservation –micro coating on glass reflects solar energy, reducing air conditioning electrical demand.
• Halite (salt)

  • Water treatment- provide the chlorine used as a disinfectant.
• Limestone

  
  

  • Agriculture – soil stabilization and pH control.
  • Air quality- neutralizes sulfur oxides from industrial stocks gases.
  • Hazardous Waste Disposal - stabilizes sludge from sewage and desulfurization plants.
  • Water treatment- removes phosphorus and nitrogen, odor control, kills bacteria; aids in clarification
  • Water treatment- potable water softening and clarification; aid - rain and acid drainage neutralization.
• Lithium

  • Energy conservation - high density, high energy batteries for numerous applications including propulsion of electric cars.
• Perlite

  • Horticulture – soil conditioning and water retention.
  • Water treatment- filtration of water in food processing, industrial applications, and swimming pools.
• Platinum

  • Hazardous waste - shows promise in treating toxic wastes.
  • Air quality - automobile catalytic converters; petroleum - refining catalysts to control sulfur dioxide emissions.
• Rare earths

  • Air quality - automobile catalytic converters; petroleum - refining catalysts to control sulfur dioxide emission.
  • Energy conservation - phosphorous in low energy fluorescent lightening; replaces cadmium (toxic)in certain batteries.
  • Recycling - use in permanent magnets for separation of metals from other wastes.
• Sandstone and crushed rock

  • Water conservation - groundcover for xeriscape (low water use) landscaping.
• Silver

  Water treatment –kills bacteria in water purification systems.
• Sulfur

  • Energy conservation - phosphor in low energy lighting.
• Zeolites

  • Ariculture - stabilization of ammonium and potassium in soil.
  • Air quality - air filtration, odor control, and purification of gases and air by selectively absorbing gases such as: ammonium, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, formaldehyde and meracaptan.
  • Hazardous waste- heavy metal and nuclear waste containment.
  • Water treatment - ammonium removal.