{"id":3356,"date":"2015-05-29T02:52:56","date_gmt":"2015-05-29T02:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wpmigration\/?p=3356"},"modified":"2015-11-26T04:46:07","modified_gmt":"2015-11-26T04:46:07","slug":"is-diatomaceous-earth-in-your-coop-bad-for-your-lungs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/articles\/is-diatomaceous-earth-in-your-coop-bad-for-your-lungs\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Diatomaceous Earth in Your Coop Bad For Your Lungs?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"postContent\">\n<p>A lot of homesteaders like to use diatomaceous earth to controls pests in their poultry flocks, because it is an economical and all-natural option for pest control that also has multiple other uses.\u00a0 I recently saw a Facebook debate about this, someone saying that this is actually unhealthy for the birds.\u00a0 Is it?<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>If you are a homesteader, permaculturalist, or even a health-nerd, you probably already know that Diatomaceous Earth (or \u201cDE\u201d as commonly called) has so many uses, that the list is only rivaled by Snake Oil.\u00a0 Is it believable that it can be used as both a natural insecticide and a health supplement?\u00a0 The science of this powdered mineral has been well-studied since the mid 1800\u2019s, and you can find substantial evidence to prove its many uses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>People use Diatomaceous Earth for:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h6>Toothpaste (I found it listed on my purchased all-natural tooth powder!)<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h6>Scouring powders<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h6>Insulation<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h6>Hydroponics<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h6>Soil additive (or even 100% of the soil) for specific potted plants (it is alkaline and has a pH of 8)<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h6>Brick-making<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h6>A component of swimming pool filters<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h6>The most common filter used in food oil processing<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h6>A stabilizer in dynamite<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h6>Deodorizer (in your refrigerator, in animal areas, etc)<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h6>Insecticide\u2014if used topically on animals, bedding, carpet, etc.<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h6>Parasite treatment\u2014when ingested orally (I found no scientific studies to verify this use)<\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Diatomaceous Earth: What is It?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Diatomaceous Earth is the graveyard of diatoms (algae).\u00a0 It is the mineral remains of this unicellular phytoplankton.\u00a0 It is mined with large equipment and is commonly occurring.\u00a0 It is then heated to very high temperatures and ground several times.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"By Doc. RNDr. Josef Reischig, CSc. (Author's archive) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons\" href=\"http:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File%3ADiatomaceous_earth_%28251_10%29_Diatomaceous_earth.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/7\/7f\/Diatomaceous_earth_%28251_10%29_Diatomaceous_earth.jpg\/512px-Diatomaceous_earth_%28251_10%29_Diatomaceous_earth.jpg\" alt=\"Diatomaceous earth (251 10) Diatomaceous earth\" width=\"512\" \/><\/a><em>By Doc. RNDr. Josef Reischig, CSc. (Author&#8217;s archive) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Dirt Poor<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>There is a lot of DE mined in the United States.\u00a0 Major sources of diatomaceous earth can be found in Germany and parts of Europe; <strong>during famines it was baked into bread (it was called \u201cbergmehl\u201d or \u201cmountain meal\u201d) along with flour and tree bark<\/strong> (Young, p. 91).\u00a0 Thus began its ancient use as a dietary supplement for humans.\u00a0 Other famine-stricken countries ate bergmehl, too, and scholars believe it is where the term \u201cdirt-poor\u201d originated in American slang.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note on Purity:<\/strong> You must know that the purity of DE varies dramatically; the stuff in the pool filter is toxic.\u00a0 If you are using DE for animals or human consumption, you must verify that you are getting food grade.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"photo from Great Depression, National Archives\" src=\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/media\/wysiwyg\/All_Images_2015\/Great_Depression.JPG\" alt=\"photo from Great Depression, National Archives\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Is it dangerous to inhale DE?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>It is a fine powder, and so it can irritate your lungs like any loose powder particles that become air-borne. \u00a0\u00a0When using <em>anything <\/em>consisting of a fine powder (dry wall, scouring powders, dry clay, etc), you should wear a mask, and anyone with a breathing condition should avoid being near such places that arouse fine dust.<\/p>\n<p><strong>We know that DE is all natural and safe for internal and topical use\u2014far safer than many of the chemical alternatives people choose to eliminate mites, ants, roaches, and other pests.<\/strong>\u00a0 But have we overlooked its effect on your respiratory system?\u00a0 If anyone were to get sick from exposure, it would be the people who wear, shovel, and breathe the stuff all day long. \u00a0\u00a0You and your chickens would have far less lung exposure than the miners, so let\u2019s look at the professional literature to see if DE is a safe choice for your flock.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" aligncenter\" title=\"Talking to DE miner, photo by Alisha Vargas\" src=\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/media\/wysiwyg\/All_Images_2015\/talking_to_DE_miner.JPG\" alt=\"Talking to DE miner, photo by Alisha Vargas\" width=\"442\" height=\"331\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>photo credit:<a title=\"photo credit\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/alishav\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Alisha Vargas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>It has been considered safe from carcinogens<\/strong> according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Working Group, which says that those who work with diatomaceous earth are the least likely of all professions studied to be exposed to respiratory carcinogens (McDonald, p. 129).\u00a0 This does seem to be of some controversy; miners studied did have higher instances of lung cancer than in other professions.\u00a0 The controversy lies within their multiple exposures (quartz, sandstone, shale, etc), their increased likelihood of smoking demographically, and so forth (Pass, p. 68).\u00a0 Even yet, the rate of lung cancer in DE miners in contrast to other mineral mining is extremely low.\u00a0 Baum\u2019s Textbook of Pulmonary Diseases boldly declared that studies showing a link from DE to lung cancer have been doctored to perpetuate funding (Crapo, p. 52102u) !<\/p>\n<p>Cancer need not be a concern, we have decided.\u00a0 But what about other lung problems?\u00a0 In one study, fewer than 5% of the miners had dust-related opacities on their chest x-rays, and that number rises with increased years of exposure (Crapo, p. 52101h).\u00a0 This can ultimately translate to Silicosis (also known as pneumonicosis), a lung disease from prolonged, extreme exposure to silica (the fine dust-powder created by certain minerals).\u00a0 DE falls into this category and can lead to Silicosis with years of direct inhalation.\u00a0 In searching at-risk professions, the mining profession is the only one that registers in regards to DE; farming and other agricultural professions do not register, neither did pottery or brick-making in spite of their daily handling of the substance (combined with other silicas, nonetheless).\u00a0 This is not to say that people in these professions do not develop Silicosis&#8211;they do.\u00a0 It is to say that they are not considered at-risk for developing it from Diatomaceous Earth.\u00a0 They handle it daily professionally.\u00a0<strong> The homesteader uses it in limited quantities, only once or twice a week, and in outdoor situations with proper ventilation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4><strong> Fine Powder + Strong Ammonia = Less of Both<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>If you have chickens, you already know about the strong, unhealthful ammonia you are entering when the time comes to clean the coop.\u00a0 Over time, this ammonia, if breathed in freely, can be rather harmful to your lungs.\u00a0 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/product\/chickens-from-scratch\/\">Every book <\/a>on the market recommends you wear a mask near the chicken coop.<\/strong>\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/product\/building-chicken-coops\/\">Every book<\/a> also suggests that you do not have an airtight coop, and that you include proper ventilation.\u00a0 Every book on the market recommends routine cleaning the coop as well.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" aligncenter\" title=\"Nesting Boxes in our coop\" src=\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/media\/wysiwyg\/All_Images_2015\/coop_interior.jpg\" alt=\"Nesting Boxes in our coop\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So here\u2019s the perfect partner: diatomaceous earth.\u00a0 It is a major ingredient in nearly everything mentioned above because of its absorbency!\u00a0 It\u2019s an excellent deodorizer that happens to kill mites, lice, roaches, and other nasties.\u00a0<strong> The urine eliminates the powder effect, and the powder soaks in the ammonia.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The DE is doing great things to promote a sanitary, pest-free living environment for your birds.\u00a0 You should already be wearing a mask, and you will follow the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.diatomaceousearth.com\/diatomaceous-earth-chickens\/\">quantities recommended<\/a> to effectively kill lice and mites without overdoing it.\u00a0 If you have breathing problems, you probably should consider delegating coop-cleaning to someone else in the house, anyway.\u00a0 Either way, wear a mask and keep the coop clean.\u00a0 <strong>DE will be a great natural solution to more than one coop management problem!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"rcwidget_ajswwlrj\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rafflecopter.com\/rafl\/display\/7da37ead24\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"7da37ead24\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\"><\/a><br \/>\n<script src=\"\/\/widget-prime.rafflecopter.com\/launch.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Resources<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Crapo, J. D., Glassroth, J. L., &amp; Karlinsky, J. B. (Eds.). (2003). Baum&#8217;s Textbook of Pulmonary Diseases (7th Edition). Philadelphia, PA, USA: LWW (PE). Retrieved from http:\/\/www.ebrary.com<\/p>\n<p>McDonald, C. (Ed.). (2008). Epidemiology of Work Related Diseases (2nd Edition). Hoboken, NJ, USA: BMJ Books. Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ebrary.com\">http:\/\/www.ebrary.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Pass, H. I., Carbone, D. P., &amp; Johnson, D. H. (2004). Lung Cancer : Principles and Practice (3rd Edition). Philadelphia, PA, USA: Wolters Kluwer. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.ebrary.com<\/p>\n<p>Young, S. (2011). Craving Earth : Understanding Pica &#8211; The Urge to Eat Clay, Starch, Ice, and Chalk. New York, NY, USA: Columbia University Press. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.ebrary.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4>Want to learn more about proper care of poultry and livestock?<\/h4>\n<div class=\"woocommerce columns-4 \"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A lot of homesteaders like to use diatomaceous earth to controls pests in their poultry flocks, because it is an economical and all-natural option for pest control that also has multiple other uses.\u00a0 I recently saw a Facebook debate about this, someone saying that this is actually unhealthy for the birds.\u00a0 Is it?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3952,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[230,297],"tags":[406,224,407],"yst_prominent_words":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Photo-by-Putneypics-CC-2.0.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Fvks-S8","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3356"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3356\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3356"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=3356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}