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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
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for Metal Finishing 1989-2025
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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
⇩ 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
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
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
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