Common Names
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In discussing the analysis of crystalline silica, the focus is on quartz. The
form which is stable below 573 degrees C, is called alpha quartz. The
toxicological response to alpha quartz in occupational settings is particle-size
dependent, with the health risk most often associated with the respirable size
range. The common names silica, flint, and sand are often applied to quartz and
should be avoided because they can confuse the issue. For example, the term
silica is not synonymous with quartz but corresponds to the chemical silicon
dioxide which includes quartz, cristobalite, tridymite, exotic high pressure
forms (e.g., stishovite, coesite), amorphous silica, silica fume, and fumed
silica. Some of the common names used for quartz and the tetrahedral structure
of quartz are shown.
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