Pool Grade Diatomaceous Earth Carcinogen
Because the heating process alters the diatomaceous earth significantly it is not effective for use in the home yard or garden.
Pool grade diatomaceous earth carcinogen. Crystalline silica is very dangerous and can be harmful to the health of humans and animals. Some brands of food grade diatomaceous earth are enhanced with chemical pesticides. Instead your pool should have a separation tank next to the filter that has a canvas strainer bag. This is de that has been treated at temperatures in excess of 1000 c or 1832 f to change its state to mostly crystalline silica.
Long term exposure to diatomaceous earth can lead to silicosis a non cancerous lung disease that causes scarring of the lung tissue. Diatomaceous earth is an effective filter that can leave your swimming pool clean. This treatment causes the silica in the de to crystallize creating a highly efficient pool filter. Feed grade diatomaceous earth as mentioned before diatomaceous earth has to go through certain testing to be branded as food grade.
Pool grade diatomaceous earth is the only form of de that can present a health risk. The international agency for research on cancer iarc has classified crystalline silicates including diatomaceous earth as a carcinogen. Diatomaceous earth ˌ d aɪ. For this reason pool grade diatomaceous earth should not be used for any purpose other than filtration.
The three main types are pool grade food grade and feed grade. This type of treatment is known as the process of calcination. A group 3 listing indicates that diatomaceous earth is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans since definitive conclusions cannot be drawn from the research conducted to date. This heating process alters the diatomaceous earth enough that it won t work in your home yard or garden like food grade does.
Therefore there is no requirement under the hcs to state a definitive finding of carcinogenicity on the label or msds for diatomaceous earth products containing less that 1 crystalline silica. Most food chemical codex grade food grade diatomaceous earth products on the other hand are not calcined and are composed largely of amorphous silica. Unlike food grade de pool grade diatomaceous earth is dangerous to eat or inhale. ə t ə ˌ m eɪ ʃ ə s ˈ ɜːr θ de diatomite or kieselgur kieselguhr is a naturally occurring soft siliceous sedimentary rock that is crumbled into a fine white to off white powder.
Depending on the granularity this powder can have an abrasive feel. The bag helps to trap the de. Pool grade diatomaceous earth is made by heating normal diatomaceous earth to temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees celsius. The diatomaceous earth used in swimming pool filters has carcinogenic properties because of the way it s.
To achieve the pool grade they heat the diatomaceous earth to high temperatures. It has a particle size ranging from less than 3 μm to more than 1 mm but typically 10 to 200 μm. Pool grade diatomaceous earth.