Removing Diatomaceous Earth from...papers (and my room)

February 6, 2013 6:23 PM

I have some documents that have been sprinkled with diatomaceous earth. How do I get the diatomaceous earth off so I can use the documents without breathing any in?

Due to circumstances that aren't really relevant here, I have some papers in a Rubbermaid container (slightly larger than a shoebox)...with diatomaceous earth (food-grade, I think--bought in bulk at a health food store) sprinkled around them and mixed in with them. Not huge amounts but it is present.

I would like to remove the diatomaceous earth from the papers, if possible, without spending a lot of money or endangering myself.

Also, I rummaged around in the shoebox (for some specific documents) a few weeks ago, and then left the box open. Under my bed. In so doing I imagine I spread some diatomaceous earth into the air and around my room.

How much damage (in terms of putting diatomaceous earth into the air in my room and getting it into my lungs) have I done, and how do I clean THAT up? I haven't felt "sick" but I've felt some asthma-like chest tightness (without having a cold--unusual for me) and I'm worried it could be from the diatomaceous earth. (The tightness itself is manageable and intermittent so I don't feel a need to see a doctor, as long as it goes away soon.)

I don't have a lot of money (I'm unemployed) and I do not own a) a respirator mask or b) a vacuum cleaner, so I'm wondering if I can get away without them.

posted by needs more cowbell to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

From Wikipedia:

Today's common DE formulations are safe to use as they are predominantly made up of amorphous silica and contain little or no crystalline silica. The crystalline silica content of DE is regulated in the United States by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and there are guidelines for the maximum amounts allowable in the product and in the air near the breathing zone of workers.

We use it in the pool filter, and I scoop coffee can-fuls of the stuff into the skimmer a couple of times a month over the summer. I'd say take the container outside, vigorously brush the stuff off the papers until they're clean (or a lightly damp cloth) and you should be okay.
posted by xingcat at 6:39 PM on February 6, 2013

All of the links I found online say that food grade diatomaceous earth should be safe. They recommend not to breath in large amounts so be careful not to stir up material to much, I'd recommend using a damp cloth in a well ventilated area preferably outside to clean up your papers. Your room should be fine, but airing it out for a day or so wouldn't hurt (depending how cold it is).

Links
wiki
askville
earthworkshealth
posted by Fishstick3000 at 6:46 PM on February 6, 2013

Yeah... pretty sure you can just brush it off. It's commonly used to kill fleas, and my mom sprinkles it all over the carpets. It has a large enough particle size that if you breathe any in, it will get coughed out (Wiki says the mean size is ~ 12 microns; the "slightly bad" level is 2.5-10 microns, the "really bad" level is smaller than 2.5 microns).
posted by DoubleLune at 6:46 PM on February 6, 2013

I've felt some asthma-like chest tightness (without having a cold--unusual for me) and I'm worried it could be from the diatomaceous earth

IANAD but this sounds like a symptom you would experience after years of airborne exposure, e.g. from working inappropriately with the stuff in a gardening environment, rather than a onetime spill on some papers.

This, like many such things, is a matter of risk increasing as exposure increases.

The recommendation is simply that this is something you gently sweep into the trash rather than vacuuming up and into your home's air, similar to the mercury in CFL bulbs. It isn't a toxic spill requiring calling 911 and activating the county hazmat team, but it is something that you should exercise some simple precautions about.
posted by dhartung at 2:44 AM on February 7, 2013

Non-chronic exposure to diatomaceous earth is safe. Yeah, you don't want to lean over and snort it, and breathing in small quantities can cause short-term irritation, like any particulate, but the long-term effects of incidental exposure are negligible (persistent, repeated exposure can cause silicosis, but we're talking "works 40-hour weeks in a DE packaging plant" exposure, not "had some floating around in the air after blowing it off some papers" exposure here). Take your papers outside and brush 'em off. Any on the floor of other surfaces can be vacuumed.
posted by jackbishop at 5:13 AM on February 7, 2013

A vacuum with a standard dust bag should be sufficient to safely remove particles the size of those found in diatomacious earth as they are fairly large.

As for your papers, taking them outside on a day with a mild breeze and shaking them out is probably sufficient. A standard dust protection mask like you can buy at any hardware store is probably more than enough protection.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 8:22 PM on February 7, 2013