Information about Heinrichite

Appearance

Heinrichite is a rare, radioactive mineral belonging to the autunite group. It commonly forms as crusty aggregates or as flattened, tabular crystals.

Uses and History

Heinrichite is primarily of interest to mineral collectors, although it may be used as an indicator mineral for uranium exploration.

Locales

Mineralogy

Hazards and Warnings

It contains barium, arsenic, and uranium and should be considered radioactive and toxic. Safe storage and handling procedures should be considered.

Mineral collectors should wash their hands after handling specimens, to avoid any exposure to potential toxins.

Almost all rocks, minerals (and, frankly, almost all other substances on earth) can produce toxic dust when cutting, which can cause serious respiratory conditions including silicosis. When cutting or polishing rocks, minerals, shells, etc, all work should be done wet to minimise the dust, and a suitable respirator or extraction system should be used.

Translations

Further Reading / External Links

• https://www.mindat.org/min-1848.html
• http://www.webmineral.com/data/Heinrichite.shtml
• https://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/Heinrichite.pdf