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Diatomaceous Earth and Shellfish Allergies?
Q. I am allergic to shrimp, crab legs and lobster. Recently I tried diatomaceous earth and got terrible uncontrollable itching. After stopping the DE, the itching mostly has stopped but is not completely gone yet after 10 days. I am hoping it just has to all get out of my system and then I will be itch-free again.
Patti Belleau- Indianapolis, Indiana
August 16, 2024
A. Hi Patti.
I'm no epidemiologist but I suppose it is possible that there is a common factor in shellfish and diatomaceous earth that could make people allergic to both.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
(Ted is available for instant or longterm help)
⇩ Related postings, oldest first ⇩
Q. Hello, My name is Matthew. I am the assistant facilities director of an Athletic club. I have a "potential" member who extremely allergic to shrimp and other shellfish. She is concerned with the use of shrimp or any type of sea shells used as a chemical treatment or in the filtration process of our spas and pool. We use DE in our filtration process.
My question is: Is the use of "Diatomaceous Earth" in a pool's filtration process a health hazard/issue to any person(s) having allergies to Shrimp and other shellfish products?
Matthew V [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]athletic club - Seattle, Washington, United States
2004
A. Hi Matthew.
Unfortunately your question remains unanswered after a long time, and we don't want the site to be questions without answers :-)
Diatomaceous earth is dried diatoms (algae) rather than shellfish. And it is an excellent filter aid -- it is used to filter other stuff out of the water, and it can't do that without staying filtered out of the water itself.
With nothing else to go on, I personally wouldn't expect it to be a problem, but I have no qualifications or experience with shellfish allergies and pool filters myself I'm afraid -- except that my son with shellfish allergy swims in pools without incident. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
(Ted is available for instant or longterm help)
A. My Friend is highly allergic too and got his all over him today after treating his animals and now broke out in hives all over. I wouldn't use it.
A SomersStay at home mom - Abilene Texas
December 7, 2021
A. Hi A,
Thanks for taking the time to respond. Still, I think there's a big difference between using diatomaceous earth as a filter aid in a pool filter versus getting it all over yourself.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
(Ted is available for instant or longterm help)
Q. What about Aluminium oxide ingested daily in the form of diatomaceous earth mixed into a glass of water? How toxic might that be?
I have a friend gone crazy, who is holistically trying to treat herself for some imagined "worm" by drinking this mixture twice a day! Aside from the obvious abrasive issue (!), what about toxicity to the kidneys and nervous system? I appreciate a response from anyone who knows the effects this might have on a human being.
Many thanks!
February 26, 2012
A. Hi, Sherry. Diatomaceous earth is not aluminum oxide; it's mostly silica, although it might contain a little aluminum oxide.
Apparently food-grade diatomaceous earth ⇨
is fairly widely used in the general fashion your friend is using it. I don't know the usual dose, and don't know whether it's good, bad, or indifferent health-wise, but apparently health food stores sell it.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
(Ted is available for instant or longterm help)
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