Homerun Resources, Inc., mines silica quartz sand in Bahia, Brazil. Samples of the sand are sent to UC Davis for research into purification and creating high-grade silica carbide. (Courtesy of Homerun ...

Millions of workers in the United States are exposed to hazardous silica dust in places where quartz is cut, drilled or polished, according to the Natural Stone Institute. “Protecting the health and ...

When Jim and Kathy Kachel moved into their home south of Bagley, Wisconsin, overlooking the Mississippi River in fall 2007, they couldn’t see the Pattison Sand Mine directly across the river in ...

Natural silica glass, found in Earth's driest regions, forms when intense heat from meteor impacts or atmospheric explosions ...