A mineral spring.
The average person ingests or uses more than 40,000 pounds of minerals per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Mines. Besides minerals present in food, minerals are found in almost every aspect of everyday life, from industrial use to home and work items such as flatware, computers, vehicles, cleaning products and lightbulbs.
Industrial
Many minerals are required for various industrial uses. The bottling and canning industries utilize minerals, and they are used in airplane and vehicles production. Antimony is used primarily in ammunition, automotive batteries and as a decolorizing agent in glass-making. Asbestos is used to make fireproof fabrics, paper, yarn, cloth, paper and paint filler, in cement pipes and sheets, in roofing and flooring products and in paint, caulking and chemical filters. Calcium is used in the production of plastics, cosmetics, food, paper, paint, pharmaceuticals, rubber and in lime production. Copper is utilized in the making of electric wires and cables, plumbing, heating, electrical and roofing materials.
Home
Minerals are found in many items throughout the home. The cutlery you use every day is generally made of stainless steel, which is created by mixing molten iron with chromium, both of which come from minerals. Plates, bowls, mugs, cups and saucers are often made from clay minerals, while one of the main components of drinking glasses is quartz crystal, the mineral. Pots and pans are made from cast iron, copper, stainless steel or aluminum metals, all of which are derived from minerals. Cleaning products and detergents often contain clay minerals, an abrasive ingredient for cleaning tough stains and grime. According to the Oxford Museum of Natural History, wolframite and scheelite are the main ores in tungsten, a metal used in the construction of lightbulbs, pens and paper. Other household items made from minerals include microwave ovens, which are made with silica, gold, iron, copper and nickel. Televisions are composed of aluminum, nickel, silica and copper.
Work
Items you may use at work (or to get to work) are often made from minerals. Trucks, for instance, are made up of different components derived from minerals. Truck tires are made from clay and limestone, while their glass windows are composed of feldspar and silica sand. The truck body is made of iron, talc, silica, clays, limestone, mica and petroleum products. Laptop computers have components made from gold, zinc, nickel, silica, aluminum, petroleum products, iron and approximately 30 other minerals. Hammers are made from iron and nickel, while safety goggles are made of mica, silica, various clays and talc. Cameras are made from petroleum and silica products, and film is composed of silver and petroleum products.
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