in the sense t h a t little is known concerning most features of i t s geological occurrence, origin, prevalent host, most common commercial form, a n d reliable field tests or detection methods. Because of its toxic effects (alkali disease) in agriculture, some studies have been made which indicate t h a t selenium is found in many formations in the Rocky M o u n t a i n region. In some shales, lignites, and pyritic sands, more t h a n 2 pounds per ton of selenium are found. Selenium is also found in chemical complexes with silver, sulfur, copper, lead, mercury, bismuth, iron, nickel, and tellurium. The discovery of t h e common association of selenium minerals with the uranium mineral autunite strongly implies related origins of the two mineral families. Inadequate Chemical Tests. One major difficulty in field work is the lack of adequate qualitative a n d quantitative chemical tests. T h e only conclusive field test is t h e pungent garliclike odor of the dust from a n ore sample struck with a hammer or heated with a cigarette lighter. T h e development of field methods or instrumentation which will assist in the identification of the presence of selenium, together with a means of estimating its percentage, is essential. Any new and effective field method of detection can be t o the selenium industry what radiation detectors were to the uranium industry. T h e Colorado School of Mines, according t o Turner, has a highly promising technique in the research stage, which may help solve this problem. Once the detection problem is solved, the problems of locating commercial reserves should fall in line. In short, says Turner, we have considerable information concerning the physical and chemical properties and metallurgy of selenium but relatively little about its natural occurrence. This is a challenge not only for t h e field man, geologist, miner, and prospector, but also for the chemist, particularly with respect to chemical detection methods for field use.
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