Im paranoid bout this (DiatomaceousEarth question)n

I havnt been wearing a mask sometimes when applying DE, and never do when picking up and moving my plants real fast or adjusting them. It never goes it my face but I'm over thinking like maybe I am accidently breathing in small bits and don't realize ..also doing a stealth grow so wearing a mask is gonna look suspect cuz I never do and never did during covid
It's Harris brand Food grade Diatomaceous earth ..anybody have any insight on this? I seen stuff of Google telling ppl its safe to spread around the inside of their house so I figure it can't be that bad ..lmk what you guys think

All forms of silica dust are baaaaaaaad to inhale.

7CardBud said:

All forms of silica dust is baaaaaaaad to inhale.

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If I inhaled it do you think I'd notice and is storing it in my house a bad idea ? It's in a bag with rubber band around it to keep closed

The only dangers from things like DE, perlite and vermiculite come from inhaling the fine dust. It's inert and can be safely stored however and wherever you want.

If you inhale a good amount of it, you'll know it, and probably hack yourself into tears.

It's not Hazmat level but it's never recommend to inhale any type of dust or fine particles.
Inhalation of silica in dry form can lead to silicosis over time. Storing it inside is not a big deal. People take it orally, it's not poison. It's just dry silica is bad to inhale. Wear ppd like a mask etc when applying it in dry form. You can also wet it, and apply then when it dries it will work as intended. You don't need to get body suits out, but take precautions to protect your eyes, skin, and lungs. Wash with COLD water. Something I learned from working with lead making ammunition. Cold water closes your pores, and washes away what's on your skin. Hot water opens your pores and fines can make their way in through the pore. Diatoms are super spiney. It's what makes it work against bugs. It can cause irritation on your skin/lungs/eyes if they make their way into or onto your pores/airway/eyes

Jjgrow420 said:

It's not Hazmat level but it's never recommend to inhale any type of dust or fine particles.
Inhalation of silica in dry form can lead to silicosis over time. Storing it inside is not a big deal. People take it orally, it's not poison. It's just dry silica is bad to inhale. Wear ppd like a mask etc when applying it in dry form. You can also wet it, and apply then when it dries it will work as intended. You don't need to get body suits out, but take precautions to protect your eyes, skin, and lungs. Wash with COLD water. Something I learned from working with lead making ammunition. Cold water closes your pores, and washes away what's on your skin. Hot water opens your pores and fines can make their way in through the pore. Diatoms are super spiney. It's what makes it work against bugs. It can cause irritation on your skin/lungs/eyes if they make their way into or onto your pores/airway/eyes

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Well f'ing done ! Very informative for the novice.

look up silicosys and you'll be wearing a mask in no time

Jjgrow420 said:

It's not Hazmat level but it's never recommend to inhale any type of dust or fine particles.
Inhalation of silica in dry form can lead to silicosis over time. Storing it inside is not a big deal. People take it orally, it's not poison. It's just dry silica is bad to inhale. Wear ppd like a mask etc when applying it in dry form. You can also wet it, and apply then when it dries it will work as intended. You don't need to get body suits out, but take precautions to protect your eyes, skin, and lungs. Wash with COLD water. Something I learned from working with lead making ammunition. Cold water closes your pores, and washes away what's on your skin. Hot water opens your pores and fines can make their way in through the pore. Diatoms are super spiney. It's what makes it work against bugs. It can cause irritation on your skin/lungs/eyes if they make their way into or onto your pores/airway/eyes

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beat me to it

go go kid said:

look up silicosys and you'll be wearing a mask in no time

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I worked in the glass making business for 40 yrs. SiO2 is the essence of glass. You
better " strap up " around this shit. Particles reach a point where they are so small, they behave like a gas ( if I recall correctly , the cut off size is 2.5 microns or less......can go deep into the lungs ) .

I work around polymer modified cement, and silica is a major component of that.

useing silicon doioxide for the gemstones, it gets finer and finer as it grinds the gemstones down, , masks are paramount, the polishes are even finer too. nasty stuff. cerium oxide, titanium dioxide and aluminium dioxide being the major ones. the workshop is a health n safty nightmare.
we use the resperator masks with the side filters.
allwatys err on the side of caution if you value your health

I always share this post from @Rurumo in another thread here when people ask about DE..

"One factor to consider when you use DE is the arsenic content. Diatomaceous earth has some of the highest arsenic levels I've seen in any soil product/amendment/fertilizer etc. It varies from brand to brand of course, based on which deposit it came from, but it's high enough to fail heavy metals tests for commercial growers if they add it to their soil. The CDFA Fertilizer database only has a single DE listing because the dangers of it really isn't on any important people's radar right now so no one is testing it-go here and next to "product" type "diatomaceous" and you can see the single listing they have is quite high in As. I think for most people who use it sparingly to kill insects, it probably won't build up all that much in the final product. But I've seen a trend lately where people want to add DE for the silica or some other such reason, and that's where it becomes a problem. Plus, it's just not good to use it indoors-any mixing of DE, rock dust, perlite, etc, should be done outside-none of those dusts are good for your lungs. Good luck to you!"