Conserve-O-Gram 11/11 Health and Safety Issues with Geological Specimens
Source: National Park Service (NPS)
Many parks have historical or abandoned mines and park collections may include representative minerals or ores. The general impression that “rocks” are inert, strong, and durable is not applicable to all minerals. There are approximately 3600 different mineral species (types) that have been described. Only a small subset pose a potential health hazard. It is important to know which minerals are present in the collection and their chemical composition. This allows you to identify those that may pose a potential health hazard, and that require special precautions for storage and handling.
