The mineral talc contains varying amounts of tremolite. Talc can be found in different types of rocks, such as mafic and ultramafic rock and in marble. In the United States, talc is commonly found in Windsor County, Vermont, and in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Talc, as a soft mineral, is hydrophobic, or resistant to water.
Appearance
Talc is usually white and "may form flakes or aggregates," according to University of North Dakota. The mineral can also be clear; it often looks like white mica or muscovite. Some close-up views of talc show scratches and muted colors of green and blue. Talc may be found in colors such as gray and green; impure talc may be brown, yellow or red.
Composition
Pure talc has the chemical formula of magnesium silicate, or Mg3SiO4O10(OH)2. Talc found in nature is a hydrous magnesium silicate with a formula of H2Mg3(SiO3)4. Talc results from the "alteration of other magnesium silicates or carbonates," according to Leonard Greenberg in "Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine." Talc may contain mineral impurities such as calcite, dolomite, quartz and iron oxide.
Mining and Location
The states leading in talc production are New York, Vermont, North Carolina, Georgia and California. The United States supplies 65 percent of the world's talc supply. Mining talc has caused problems, due to the amount of dust that results from the acts of mining and digging the mineral. The dust carries minerals and chemicals that can harm workers who hare exposed to the substance. Talc is most often mined by the methods of drift drilling, hand or machine mucking, and blasting.
Health Concerns
Talc dust has produced cases of pulmonary fibrosis, a serious lung disease, in some who mine or work with talc. Talc dust can be contaminated by tremolite. This mineral is used in many nonasbestos mineral fibers and has been shown to cause mesothelioma. This disease is a cancer that affects the inner linings of the body that encase organs.
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