How many pounds of minerals are needed for each person in the U.S. per year?

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Crushed gravel-sized stone, an example of an industrial mineral. Image Credit: Bill Bradley, http://www.builderbill-diy-help.com, Licensed under Creative Commons, CC-BY-SA-3.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) via Wikimedia Commons
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U.S. Geological Survey FAQs:

"To maintain our standard of living, each person in the United States requires over 38,449 pounds of minerals each year:

  • 9,426 pounds of stone
  • 6,768 pounds of sand and gravel
  • 655 pounds of cement
  • 142 pounds of clays
  • 338 pounds of salt
  • 244 pounds of iron ore
  • 195 pounds of phosphate rock
  • 34 pounds of soda ash
  • 28 pounds of aluminum
  • 13 pounds of copper
  • 11 pounds of lead
  • 6 pounds of zinc
  • 4 pounds of manganese
  • 21 pounds of other metals
  • 535 pounds of other non-metals

PLUS:

  • 930 gallons of petroleum
  • 4,409 pounds of coal
  • 87,817 cubic feet of natural gas
  • 0.2 pounds of uranium

Source: Minerals Information Institute, 2018"

Learn More:

  • Do We Take Minerals For Granted? (Web Article), U.S. Geological Survey
    Basic summary of the uses of minerals, future mineral supplies, and minerals and the economy
  • Tracking the Global Supply of Critical Materials (Webinar), American Geosciences Institute
    2018 webinar detailing efforts from the U.S. and European Union to monitor the global production, trade, and usage of critical raw materials; identify and quantify vulnerabilities in supply; and support co-operation on production, recycling, and substitution of key mineral resources.

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