Parsonsite is a mineral composed of lead uranium phosphate with the chemical formula Pb2(UO2)(PO4)2•2H2O. Parsonsite is made up of around 45% lead and 25% uranium. It usually has a variety of colors, including blue, green, and even colorless. This color shift can be attributable to contaminants or chemical composition changes. It forms radial spherulites, encrustations, and powdery aggregates as well as elongated lathlike pseudo monoclinic crystals. It’s a pale yellow color. It has a hardness of 2.5-3 on the Mohs scale and a specific gravity of 5.72 – 6.29.
It was discovered in the Shinkolobwe mine, Katanga Copper Crescent, Democratic Republic of Congo, in 1923. It was named after mineralogist and University of Toronto professor Arthur Leonard Parsons (1873-1957).
General Information
Parsonsite is a rare and highly radioactive mineral. It is a uranium-bearing mineral that was first discovered in 1921 at the Parson’s Siding near Lake Athabasca in Saskatchewan, Canada. Parsonsite is primarily composed of uranium oxide and occurs as small, dark, pitchblende-like crystals. It is often associated with other uranium minerals, such as uraninite and coffinite.
- Category: Phosphate mineral
- Formula (repeating unit): Pb2(UO2)(PO4)2·2H2O
- Crystal system: Triclinic
- Crystal class: Pinacoidal (1) (same H-M symbol)
- Color: Pale citron-yellow
Properties
- Crystal habit: Elongate and flattened tiny crystals, may resemble laths, crusts, powdery aggregates
- Cleavage: None observed
- Mohs scale hardness: 2.5-3
- Luster: Sub-adamantine
- Diaphaneity: Transparent to translucent
- Specific gravity: 5.37
- Optical properties: Pale yellow color
- Pleochroism: None
- Ultraviolet fluorescence: Does not fluoresce in UV light
- Solubility: Soluble in acids
Occurrence
Parsonsite is a secondary mineral that forms in the oxidized zones of lead and copper ore deposits. It is often found associated with other secondary minerals in these deposits.
Uses
Parsonsite is not a commercially valuable mineral and is primarily of interest to mineral collectors and researchers due to its rarity and unique crystal structure.
Safety
Parsonsite is not a mineral that is widely sought after by mineral collectors due to its radioactivity and the potential health risks linked with uranium exposure. Scientists and researchers studying uranium resources and radioactive minerals are more interested in it.
When working with radioactive materials, it is critical to handle Parsonsite with extreme caution and to follow all safety precautions. Furthermore, legislation and laws governing the handling and possession of radioactive minerals differ by nation, so it’s critical to be aware of and follow local regulations while working with compounds like Parsonsite.
