Pool filter sand a carcinogen?

[qquake2k]

Hi All,

I went to the pool supply store today, and bought a bag of filter sand for my freshwater aquarium. The girl said not to breathe the dust, because it's a carcinogen. In her words, "It's crushed fossils and stuff." Is this true? She also said it's silica sand. Is it safe for the fish?

http://www.jimjoey.net/aquarium/sand/leslies_sand.jpg

 

[zzyzx85]

Silica sand is silica sand. Inert but can still damage your lungs, like what the warning on the bag says. She might have been confusing silica sand with diatomaceous earth (DE), which is crushed fossils and isn't very pleasant to inhale or get in your eyes.

Either way, it's never good to inhale small foreign objects.

 

[THE V]

Silica is nonreactive at normal temperatures. It is not made from fossil's. It is a mixture of silicon and oxygen in a crystaline form. The main danger in using silica is it getting into the lungs which can lead to scarring. Any small particulate matter will do the same thing. However silica can cause long term damage because the crystals do not dissolve. So wear a dusk mask.

 

[jmhart]

The V is right on all counts.

 

[qquake2k]

Thanks!

Thanks guys, you have allayed my fears!

 

[Zebulon]

Mmmmm, silicosis. Rock dust in general tends to stick in the lungs a bit. *cough*

Once it's washed of the teeny dust it'll be a lot safer for inhalation purposes.