North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Ernest Plutko" <ernestplutko@wiktel.com>]

Diatomaceous earth is mostly composed of the silica exoskeletons of
diatoms.  It is hazardous to inhale.

---- Original Message ----
From: David.Maxwell@dal.ca
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] ant colonization of containers
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:35:57 -0300

> 
>> PS, everybody know DE is dangerous to breath?
>> 
>
>I am a physician.  I am not sure this statement is valid.  It is
>certainly harmless to 
>observe it, but do you know where the idea came from?  I believe that
>diatomaceous 
>earth is basically the exoskeletons of marine plankton, and is made
>of calcium 
>carbonate, the same material that limestone or chalk is made of. 
>Might there be a confusion here with silicaceous materials, such as
>the fine white 
>sand used for sandblasting (can't think of the name of it at
>present)?  Silicon dioxide 
>forms an assymetric crystal which (at least according to one theory)
>interacts with the 
>earth's magnetic field, generating tiny electrical currents which are
>responsible for its 
>provoking fibrosis of the lung tissue - the well known "silicosis",
>seen in hard rock 
>miners.
>Calcium carbonate neither forms asymmeric crystals like silica, nor
>is it nearly as 
>insoluble as silica.  (I suspect any inhaled limestone particles
>which lodged in the 
>lungs would fairly rapidly be dissolved by the body)
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