The Basics on Silica |
Silica is a
mineral compound made up of one silicon atom and two oxygen atoms. |
Oxygen is the
most abundant element in the earth's crust. Silicon is the second most
abundant. Due to such abundance, the formation of the compound silica in nature is
very common. |
There are other
compounds that contain silicon whose names are quite similar, such as silicate and
silicone. Do not mistake these for silica. They are not the same thing. |
If the individual
silica molecules are lined up in order and create a repeatable pattern then the silica is
in crystal form. We call it "crystalline" silica. |
There can be more
than one repeatable pattern in silica. The various crystal patterns are given their
own name. There are quartz, cristobalite, tridymite, and other rare forms of
crystalline silica. Quartz is so common that the term quartz is often used to
refer to crystalline silica. And sand is often used to refer to quartz. |
Persons working
with silica can develop a disease called silicosis. This disease is 100% preventable
if appropriate steps are taken. Individuals are at risk in the workplace if: 1) the
silica can become airborne, 2) the airborne particles are a certain size, 3) the worker
breathes in the silica. |