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Warning warning!

I was at Home Depot a few hours ago (I scored a nep and a sarr btw) and I was looking for vermiculite and couldn't find any so I asked this lady that was working in the garden center and she said that it was taken off the market because a part of it has been proven to CAUSE CANCER! Use EXTREM caution with handling any that you might have! Or just get rid of it! I was soooo surprised when I heard! Anyways, when I heard this I INSTANTLY thought to post it on here concidering so many of you use it! I'm glad I didn't buy that one bag a year ago! Apparently vermiculite is associated with asbestos which was all know causes cancer! Anyways, I just thought I'd warn everyone.

(-+Kyle+-)
 
Its cancer link has been known for a while. I've heard many warnings about it. I haven't stopped using it but maybe now it will get hard to find.
 
It is the fine dust you have to worry about. Thats the component that could cause cancer when you inhale it. Use caution with perlite too. do not breeth in the dust. Just what I have heard.
 
Yup, I suppose it'd be wise to wear a mask when handling it, just like with perlite.
 
Whew, man--I never inhaled...
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Great, another not only nice CP ingrediant but wonderful soil amendment that alas, is yet again taken from our hands...
 
I never breath in anything that comes off the stuff I use for my CPs. It's not a nice feeling to inhale dust..plus I've heard there's a disease you can get from breathing in contaminated sphagnum or if it gets in a cut or something. I didn't know there was a danger with perlite though... I still don't breathe it in nonetheless.
 
The sad thing is the ONLY mine where asbestos is associated with vermiculite was Libby Montana. That mine has been closed since 1990.

I predict this concern will blow over. Probably some buyer at Home Depot read something about it and paniced. I still see it sold in many stores.

One greenhouse in Lansing won't sell "silica sand" because it is dangerous!

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing sometimes.
 
  • #10
I heard perlite dust was bad, but I didn't know it was similar to asbestos.

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Now my lungs itch.
 
  • #11
Yet another instance of public over-reaction to an otherwise very useful product. Let's see here:

Plastic fibers found in most carpets has been shown to cause lung diseases. Nobody's ripping out their carpets.

Exposure to SUNLIGHT even on a CLOUDY summer day is hazardous and can cause epithelial carcinomas and malignant melanomas.

Ingestion of less than half a bottle of tylenol causes fatal liver failure and aspirin can exacerbate stomach ulcers, yet most people have these in their medicine cabinets.

And I don't even want to get started on smoking, people's horrible diets, air pollution, lack of exercise, and all the other unhealthy CHOICES most people make.

I haven't read the studies on vermiculite, but I can almost bet that most involve animals that ate an amount of vermiculite equal to half their body weight for a year, and their cancer rate went up by 1%.

Jeesh, the guys that are illogically worrying about vermiculite-induced cancer probably smoked a pack, ate three big-macs, tanned on the beach, and forgot to exercise all on the same day! Then, when they get cancer or some other disease, they do the easy thing and blame it on vermiculite.

Now give me back my vermiculite. I don't use it for my CPs, but its good for other plants.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look what this thread did to me.....i'm all worked up now!
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  • #12
darn you, you rational, perspective-laden nice guy! You've just deprived this hypochondriac from a good panic session!
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  • #13
I think its still being sold here at Lowe's LOL.
 
  • #15
Oh....and I thought this would be the perfect venue to paste this VERY funny article.  You really should read the whole thing if you have a minute to spare.  Don't know what dihydrogen monoxide is by the time you finish the article.....no problem, scroll to the very bottom for the answer (don't cheat, read first!!).  Here's the article:
----------------------------------------------------
I. DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE OVERVIEW:

Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year.
What are the dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide?
Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.

II. DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE FACTS:

Dihydrogen monoxide:

--is also known as hydric acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
--contributes to the Greenhouse Effect.
--may cause severe burns.
--contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
--accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
--may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
--has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

III. DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE ALERTS:

Contamination is reaching epidemic proportions!
Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. In the midwest alone DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage.

IV. DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE ALERTS:

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
--as an industrial solvent and coolant.
--in nuclear power plants.
--in the production of styrofoam.
--as a fire retardant.
--in many forms of cruel animal research.
--in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
--as an additive in certain junk-foods and other food products.

V. CALL TO BAN DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE:

Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The impact on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!
THE HORROR MUST BE STOPPED!

The American government has refused to ban the production, distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its importance to the economic health of this nation. In fact, the navy and other military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use.

Act NOW to prevent further contamination. Find out more about this dangerous chemical. What you don't know CAN hurt you and others throughout the world.

--------------------------------------------------
Answer:  Dihydrogen monoxide = pure water.  

And all the "facts" in this article are true. Not kidding.  
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  • #16
I so saw that coming.


...You're supposed to wear a mask when handling perlite? O_O
 
  • #17
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I think its still being sold here at Lowe's LOL.
well, when I went to buy some there was only one bag left, and it was all the way back.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Don't know what dihydrogen monoxide is by the time you finish the article
darn! I already knew what it was. lol. see? taking chemistry ruins the fun.
everything can be a "poison". even oxygen is. The free radicals produced from cellular respiration bind to molecules in the cell and I THINK can cause cancer, aging, and other things...
 
  • #18
I use it for incubating reptile eggs. i got a buch in my eyes once.
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  • #19
O.O; Wow, didn't know water was so "dangerous"! xD Hmmm, I actually thought vermiculite was a real threat, what happens if they take perlite off the market?!
 
  • #20
[b said:
Quote[/b] (ChronoKiento @ July 28 2005,1:44)]what happens if they take perlite off the market?!
You will just have to find another way to get your cancer exposure.
 
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