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This is the first book of its kind for both the consumer and health practitioner on Diatomaceous Earth (DE), a natural least-toxic alternative to chemical pesticides and other uses. Practical information and “how-to” tips benefit a broad cross section of the community. Until now, only obscure heavily encumbered university text books existed, mostly focusing on the geological and chemical background of this ancient, natural-milled mineral.
Tui Rose, a concerned mother and registered nurse of 40 years throws new light on a truly natural treasure that has remained relatively in the dark, and a mystery to the majority for too long. Enlightened by over a decade of personal experiences with Diatomaceous Earth from parenting to manufacturing, researching and writing, culminated in the form of a book, answering the many questions which the author found baffled her along the way, in getting to know this substance.
Documenting her knowledge obtained from experts in the field, who each have up to forty years of experience, combined with research data from governing agencies and health and education organizations, the goal became to bridge the information gap on this subject of Diatomaceous Earth. By providing useful “how-to” tips, the author helps the reader and user make an easier change from using unhealthy chemicals, to this much safer and effective non-toxic alternative instead. Of particular interest are the areas where it matters most—right where we live, work, sleep and play, to benefit our health and safety and those closest to us.
Toxic chemical pesticides have reigned for over a half century in retail stores, homes and literally everywhere, amounting to a multi-billion dollar a year industry. Note: more than one billion dollars per year are spent on fleas and ticks alone. There is almost no place and no one in the world untouched by chemical toxins anymore. Despite the high risks and overwhelming facts attached to poisons, Diatomaceous Earth, a much safer and natural alternative has been around for literally thousands of years, but has somehow been relatively ignored and inaccessible to the mainstream retail markets. The author set out to find out—why? What could be the problem?
Along the way she uncovered many anomalies especially in governing laws involving labeling practices and registration. It seems these issues need to be addressed and changed—especially if we are to seriously take heed of the advise given by the World Health Organization, physicians, scientists and health education foundations. They are not only reporting the statistics and dangers of toxic pesticide poisonings, but advise the need to use safer alternatives to avoid these risks. Food grade Diatomaceous Earth is one such great alternative.
Incidentally, most toxic chemical insecticides have never been tested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before being released onto the market. Further, hundreds more continue to be removed only after years of proving to be harmful or deadly. Meanwhile, hundreds of other new poisonous insecticides are continually being introduced to retail shelves in our popular supermarkets to take their place.
“Going Green” Diatomaceous Earth How-To Tips focuses on three main obstacles which have kept this natural substance from becoming well known, in demand, and abundantly used as a safer insecticide, until now:
1) Lack of general consumer and retailer information about the
benefits and uses of DE, mainly due to restrictions set by the
Environmental Protection Agency (which is there to protect us
against harmful pesticides).
2) Lack of accessibility and availability to the consumer—the market,
including popular retail stores, sell almost nothing but poisons.
3) Identification problems due to product label restrictions required by
law, which leads to consumer misconception.
Each issue above has been dealt with in detail within various chapters, especially Chapter Eight.
Those who will benefit from these safer remedies and solutions are: the unborn fetus, children, pregnant women, home and pet owners, kennel operators, gardeners, animal and bird keepers, farmers, crop owners, orchardists, veterinarians, and those who manage the bug problems of public playgrounds, parks and golf courses, schools, health facilities, food handling businesses, storage facilities, grain mills, seed facilities, nurseries, commercial buildings, warehouses, retirement and convalescent homes, hotels, agricultural fairs and city sewers, etc.
As the consequences of toxic chemicals in our environment manifest in the form of diseases and chronic ailments, public officials and health care professionals also need to become more enlightened and advocate healthier alternatives such as Diatomaceous Earth. They now have a book of helpful tips and health information to steer them to.
Increasingly in the last decade, there has been a surge of new public interest in Diatomaceous Earth. Ever since Rachel Carson, a biologist wrote the popular book Silent Spring over 40 years ago from which a movie was made, it has taken us awhile, but with hindsight, we are now becoming more aware.
With better public information we have become more sensitized to the negative side effects of industrial chemicals, cleansing agents, and pesticides that are used in and around our homes, gardens, places of work, and throughout our food industry. A Google search of the phrase “natural home” yields over a half billion results. It is clear that a vast number of consumers are now interested in safer alternatives. There is no time like the present to discover, or rather re-discover Diatomaceous Earth while the need is growing.
As safer alternatives become more in demand, commercially available, and popularly recognized, manufactures, distributors and retailers will find literally dozens of useful tips in this book about Diatomaceous Earth’s applications and benefits to help their customers. This practical learning guide provides the long-awaited information for the seller, the consumer, and the health advocate.
Unlike defensive driving where we consciously take the responsibility for our health and safety into our own hands (as we buckle ourselves in and carefully put children into approved and properly installed car seats), most of the population don’t protect themselves or their children from chemical hazards in the home with the same amount of care. Chemical poisons are often sprayed indiscriminately in kitchens where food is prepared, in bedrooms where we sleep, on furniture where we lounge, and on carpets, or in the yard where children and pets play. We have created a train wreck waiting to happen. Unfortunately, for millions of victims of chemical insecticidal poisoning, it is too late to say, “if only we knew then, what we know now.”
Let’s clear up a few misconceptions. Unfortunately, with chemicals, the inherent danger in how it can affect our future health is not easily seen coming. Further, the accumulative damage is not always acutely felt or known at the time—often not for years or even decades after exposure. Whereas Diatomaceous Earth is a visible whitish powder, chemicals are usually invisible once applied. The biggest mistake made is to believe chemical insecticides are not damaging or deadly if they cannot be visibly seen, and they must be safe if sold in our grocery store. Another mistake we make is thinking a little bit won’t hurt, or any contact now won’t be detrimental for a lifetime. Unfortunately, this kind of popular thinking has been proven by statistics to be either disastrous or deadly as the World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control have proven and have cautioned us about.
A one time exposure of a spray of toxic chemical insecticide can cause many life threatening ailments or diseases such as seizures, birth defects, childhood physical or mental developmental delays, disabilities, leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers, or a lifetime of any one of dozens of chronic diseases such as: asthma (the leading childhood disease); skin disorders; nervous system diseases such as ADHD, panic attacks and Parkinson’s; endocrine disorders, reproductive problems, and genetic damage to name just a few. Most have detrimental environmental concerns affecting our food chain and water supply. The result of such damage is billions of dollars in annual health care costs and personal suffering. Alternatively food grade Diatomaceous Earth, in the absence of chemical insecticides, can provide a resolution to this ever growing problem of health and safety issues.
While Diatomaceous Earth is not a panacea for all problems that bug us, its effectiveness and potential as a major alternative to solve most of our bug problems is much underestimated.
Why should we take an interest in DE now? The truth is we can’t afford to ignore the facts anymore if we care about the mutation or alteration of our genetic heritage, the quality of our lives, and our children’s and grandchildren’s right to a healthy future. The damage of some chemical insecticides is found to negatively alter the genetics of other species, and has for been suspected by medical and scientific researchers to affect humans in the same way. The consequences will no doubt appear in the genes of our future generations as abnormalities and disease, from birth to old age.
Diatomaceous Earth is not simply an alternative; it is a preventative approach to all these threats, ailments and suffering. Diatomaceous Earth is as old as the dinosaurs—even used by ancient cultures in China, Greece and Egypt! Where has DE been since then?
Unfortunately, like many ancient things, Diatomaceous Earth’s benefits have been largely forgotten, replaced or substituted by new, so-called “improved,” and different technologies—in Diatomaceous Earth’s case, the chemical pesticide industry in the last 60 years. While the chemical industry has produced many beneficial products, it has also been the source of harmful environmental and health consequences. Now with the results of medical research as seen in some of the news articles in Chapter Six, Diatomaceous Earth is making a comeback due to popular consumer demand.
Diatomaceous Earth comes from a particular kind of fossilized algae called a diatom. The fossilized remains of these microscopic diatoms have remarkable and safe (mechanical rather than chemical) bug killing qualities. DE also has a deterring factor to fence bugs out, without the undesirable chemical effects and eventual resistance to the toxin which creates super bugs. Diatomaceous Earth kills bugs by sticking to their waxy protective outer layer and absorbing their fluids causing dehydration, or interfering with their breathing and mobility.
As long as a bug comes into physical contact with the powder they will eventually succumb. Some bugs like carpenter ants die almost instantly, while other types of bugs with harder exoskeletons may take a few hours or a day or two, but patience is well worth the health and safety benefits.
Readers and consumers should be cautioned—not all DE is food grade! It is very important to note there are two principle forms of DE. This book is focused exclusively on food grade DE (further clarified in Chapter Eight—Safety Precautions). The first type of DE, and subject of this book is natural milled, unheated amorphous (non crystalline or non-calcined) silicon dioxide, which may be generally referred to as food grade Diatomaceous Earth.
The second form of DE is the one to be wary of, and is definitely not safe for the uses in this book. This is the highly heated, calcined or flux calcined DE. These processes create harmful crystalline silica. Such DE products are primarily used commercially as “industrial grade” silica for a variety of non-food grade applications such as swimming pool and aquarium filters, and road materials, which are among some 1500 uses.
The last part of this Introduction briefly summarizes each chapter—information about Diatomaceous Earth pertaining to specific target areas, benefits, practical tips, recipes, application methods, anecdotal evidence (examples of how others used DE and their successes), precautions, and the health risks of toxic chemical insecticides.
Chapter One: What on Earth is Diatomaceous Earth and How Does it Work? DE is composed of millions of fossilized microscopic diatoms. They once flourished as a form of golden brown aquatic algae which lived and still do live in ocean and lake waters where they are the food source of all kinds of aquatic creatures. From at least as far back as the beginning of the Cenozoic Era some 65 million years ago, diatoms have existed and contributed to oceanic sediments. In contrast, scientists believe that diatoms that live in the lakes evolved somewhat latter. Fossilizing over eons of time into soft powdery rock many feet thick, geological forces pushed these deposits up to the Earth’s surface. Today, the deposits that are mined and milled into an off-white powdered form date back in origin mostly to the Miocene Epoch and younger time periods, roughly 25 million years or less in age. This ancient substance is truly a modern day natural treasure—a safer and simple solution to our everyday insecticidal needs, eliminating bugs by dehydration.
Chapter Two: Diatomaceous Earth Uses as a Safer Home and Garden Insecticide: Diatomaceous Earth can be safely used in the home and garden around children and pets. Dozens of “how-to” tips are provided for natural ways to treat an A-Z list of bugs through the dehydrating powers of Diatomaceous Earth without chemical nerve poisons. Several anecdotal success stories by other users help to expand individual ideas and ways to use Diatomaceous Earth around the home and garden.
Diatomaceous Earth also has a number of other helpful novelty uses not widely known. Food grade Diatomaceous Earth is safe to use like baking soda to deodorize kitty litter, shoes, refrigerator, vacuum cleaner bags and garbage cans. It can soak up motor oil, (even contain large industrial oil spills), soothe bug bites and bee stings, kill fleas, tics and lice, resist mold and moisture, retard tarnishing when stored with silver, act as a gentle metal polisher and soft scrub when slightly moistened, and preserve leaves and flowers for dried arrangements. It is hard to imagine any other natural or synthetic substance that comes close to accomplishing so many solutions to so many challenges, and for so many different kinds of people.
Chapter Three: Diatomaceous Earth For Use in Grain Storage for Humans and Animals: Diatomaceous Earth Grain Storage Protectant is used for preserving grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, rice, etc., for both animal and human use from damage by many grain insects, including weevils and their larvae. Pure 100 percent Diatomaceous Earth with no additives, being a natural desiccant, also helps to prevent grains from destruction by moisture and mold. Many recipes are offered for ways to preserve quart jars of whole grains in the pantry, to 25-pound bags, and 100 pound to 1-ton storage containers. There are even recipes for how to protect entire food cellars, grain storage warehouses, farms and mills. A few anecdotal success stories are provided for grain storage.
Chapter Four: Diatomaceous Earth For Agricultural Uses: Diatomaceous Earth for animals comes under the label Anti-Caking Agent or Inert Carrier and has been used for decades in agriculture and horticulture both internally and externally. Diatomaceous Earth labeled for this purpose is also called “animal feed additive.” The product label for this use should show the State’s registration number. Anti-caking agent is just what it says; it’s a material that is added to another powder to keep it clump-free and consequently free-flowing when it is poured. Anti-caking agents facilitate the handling of powder substances. It has a beneficial effect on health not only when applied externally to animals and birds but also when added to their feed by providing natural trace minerals for growth and strength.
The many anecdotal success stories from the farm or ranch attribute Diatomaceous Earth to making sick and skinny animals well again, eliminating scours, intestinal and external parasites, keeping coats and eyes shiny, reducing veterinarian bills, increasing milk production, and keeping animals generally more contented. The manure of animals fed Diatomaceous Earth has much less odor, which keeps farmers, animals and birds happy due to the reduction of flies. Diatomaceous Earth can be safely used in poultry houses on chickens and also other birds such as ostriches. It can be spread around the barn, milking parlor, and on crops and orchards. Anecdotal success stories are provided for ideas on how to apply Diatomaceous Earth to birds and animals, on farms and large commercial scale acreage of crops and orchards.
Chapter Five: Application Tools & Methods To Get The Best Results From Using Diatomaceous Earth: This section provides practical methods, tips and solutions for applying Diatomaceous Earth in almost any situation, no matter how small or large the challenge by using a variety of applicators: hose end sprayers for applying a liquid solution, pest pistols, accordion puffers, back-packs and tractor sprays—even airplanes. Electrostatic ionizers which can be attached to these applicators use polarity to make the Diatomaceous Earth stick better to the underside of leaves, tree canopies and to reach dense foliage or to efficiently and effectively cover and treat very large areas.
Chapter Six: Diatomaceous Earth Benefits for Human Ingestion: Although not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human ingestion in the USA, food grade Diatomaceous Earth has been used for decades in capsules or powder form for human ingestion, especially in Europe and Asia as an anti-parasitic, intestinal detoxifier and Trace Mineral Supplement. Dosages are included as suggested by other practitioners or users and a few anecdotal success stories are included.
Chapter Seven: Why Diatomaceous Earth is Better for Health—Alarming Health Risks Linked To Toxic Chemical Pesticides: This section contains summaries of over thirty medical and scientific articles related to the health risks of toxic chemical pesticides. Toxic chemicals are non-selective, with the ability to kill friend and foe alike. Alarm bells have rung out for decades, warnings that everyone including our children and pets are increasingly over-exposed to an accumulation of disease causing toxic chemicals, and chemical body burden tests reveal that almost all of us have not one but dozens of different chemicals in our blood stream.
Chemical pesticides can even be found in the most sacred of mother’s milk, the unborn fetus, the newborn, and most children, affecting our genetic heritage. Since toxic pesticides have proven to cause millions of deaths, and a long list of damaging health effects, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been forced to remove many of these chemicals from the market, which they once approved, or they now impose substantial restrictions on other chemicals, most of which still have harmful effects.
DID YOU KNOW? Cancer strikes nearly one in every two men, and one in every three women today? Dr. Samuel Epstein, M.D., professor emeritus of environmental medicine at the University Of Illinois School Of Public Health, who is also chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition reveals a startling upward spiraling trend in the incidence of major diseases especially cancer. He is particularly concerned about the very risky use of toxic chemical cleaners and pesticides applied in our homes and gardens and rules out smoking or genetics as the cause of the increase to epidemic proportions over recent decades.
Are we sacrificing our long term health for the instant gratification of a quick toxic chemical fix and a few dead bugs? The following increases over the last few decades as revealed by Dr. Epstein are hard to ignore:
- Childhood cancers increased 40-50%.
- Breast cancer increased 60 to 65%.
- Testicular cancer between the ages of 28-35 increased 300%.
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma increased 100%.
- Brain cancer increased 80 to 90%.
- Dogs have a five times greater risk of getting canine lymphoma if they wear collars containing carcinogenic chemicals.
Chapter Eight: Safety Precaution for Diatomaceous Earth: In order to choose and use the safest and healthiest quality of food grade Diatomaceous Earth, this chapter discusses problems with official red tape and labeling issues in order to help both the sellers of Diatomaceous Earth and the consumer to avoid any misunderstanding, misconceptions and confusion. It is vitally important to safety and health to know the difference between food grade Diatomaceous Earth and industrial grade (which is toxic for the uses described in this book).
Conclusion: Over 90 percent of American households use toxic synthetic chemical pesticides and household products. However, rising current public concern about the hazards of toxic chemicals is creating a healthy response. Increasingly larger numbers of consumers are waking up to the realization that blind faith in routine pesticide exposure and treatments is no longer healthy or acceptable—mistakenly, it was once considered the norm.
Alarmed consumers have become more aware and educated about the consequences of what harmful toxic chemical insecticides can do when absorbed through the skin, inhaled or ingested after contaminating carpets, floors, pet bedding, children’s clothing, and areas used for playing, eating or sleeping, and also our food supply and water.
As a result, consumers have developed a healthier attitude, a new surge of interest and a steadily increasing demand for safer and non-toxic alternative solutions to replace harmful insecticides. Indeed, food grade Diatomaceous Earth fits the job description. “Going Green” Diatomaceous Earth How-To Tips facilitates this consumer need by providing hundreds of practical answers and tidbits of helpful information for gaining practical experience with using this special natural substance. Diatomaceous Earth is indeed an amazing gift from Mother Nature, offering numerous safe and affordable alternatives for today and every day—if we can have it more accessible and if only we know how to use it.
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