Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5194
U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5194
ONLINE ONLY
By Grecia R. Matos
Download PDF file for SIR 2006-5194 (.7 MB)
The regulatory system and advancement of technologies have shaped the end-use patterns of nonfuel minerals used in the United States. These factors affected the quantities and types of materials used by society. Environmental concerns and awareness of possible negative effects on public health prompted numerous regulations that have dramatically altered the use of commodities like arsenic, asbestos, lead, and mercury. While the selected commodities represent only a small portion of overall U.S. materials use, they have the potential for harmful effects on human health or the environment, which other commodities, like construction aggregates, do not normally have.
The advancement of technology allowed for new uses of mineral materials in products like high-performance computers, telecommunications equipment, plasma and liquid-crystal display televisions and computer monitors, mobile telephones, and electronic devices, which have become mainstream products. These technologies altered the end-use pattern of mineral commodities like gallium, germanium, indium, and strontium. Human ingenuity and people’s demand for different and creative services increase the demand for new materials and industries while shifting the pattern of use of mineral commodities.
The mineral commodities’ end-use data are critical for the understanding of the magnitude and character of these flows, assessing their impact on the environment, and providing an early warning of potential problems in waste management of products containing these commodities. The knowledge of final disposition of the mineral commodity allows better decisions as to how regulation should be tailored.
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Overview of Materials Flow
Shifts in End Uses of Mineral Commodities Owing to Regulation
Arsenic
Asbestos
Lead
Mercury
Shifts in End Uses of Mineral Commodities Owing to Changing Technologies
Gallium
Germanium
Indium
Strontium
Summary
References Cited
Contact Information: Grecia R. Matos
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