User avatar
TomatoNut95
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2069
Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 11:11 am
Location: Texas Zone 8

DE Question

Just out of curiousity, what is the difference between regular DE and food-safe grade DE?

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30504
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Depends on what you mean by "regular" — one type of DE is used for pool etc filter and are heat treated into hard crystalline form — said to be almost as bad as asbestos (not quite as bad is what I heard)

There are “food” grade as "safe" for human consumption and can be used in small % quantities in food or even taken by some people as supplements. I would assume but am not sure they are tested for toxins and impurities.

There are agricultural and horticultural grades which I think are probably not as purified as food grade . Not sure specific difference if any between horticultural and agricultural grade. But in addition to using as organic pesticide, one or both is used to mix with seeds and grain feed to organically protect them from pests like weevils and grain moths. When mixed in animal feed, this type is considered safe for them to breathe and eat (so definitely NOT the pool filter grade). The allowed % impurities and toxins for animal feed is not the same as human — this is an issue as sometimes the regulated % is considerably higher. DE is also fed directly and used as “wormer”/vermicide for animals instead of or in conjunction with pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

User avatar
TomatoNut95
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2069
Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 11:11 am
Location: Texas Zone 8

What had started this question up was I had offered my mother some of my DE (designed for insects) to sprinkle on her plants to kill aphids. She had asked if it was food grade, and it's not. Then she made it sound like my DE was poisonous. So I started wondering what all the differenes in other kinds were.

Vanisle_BC
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1353
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:02 pm
Location: Port Alberni, B.C. Canada, Zone 7 (+?)

TomatoNut95 wrote:
Thu May 14, 2020 10:25 am
Just out of curiousity, what is the difference between regular DE and food-safe grade DE?
No difference at all, unless you actually identify them - by name for instance.

User avatar
TomatoNut95
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2069
Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 11:11 am
Location: Texas Zone 8

My DE is strictly for use on insects, it's not food grade.

Vanisle_BC
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1353
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:02 pm
Location: Port Alberni, B.C. Canada, Zone 7 (+?)


User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30504
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Haha at least “diatomaceous earth” is on the list.

User avatar
TomatoNut95
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2069
Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 11:11 am
Location: Texas Zone 8

Vanisle_BC wrote:
Thu May 14, 2020 9:53 pm
DE:

https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/DE
Do you enjoy picking at my abbreviations? 😆

DE: Dear Enemy. Dumb Event. Disasteraful Evening.....

Vanisle_BC
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1353
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:02 pm
Location: Port Alberni, B.C. Canada, Zone 7 (+?)

:-()
TomatoNut95 wrote:
Fri May 15, 2020 1:56 pm
Do you enjoy picking at my abbreviations? 😆
No, I'd rather not have to puzzle over what they mean. I much prefer to see words spelled out in real language. It's different if the phrase has already been included in the paragraph and it's convenient to use an abbreviation rather than repeat it. (Although; why not repeat it, really?)

LOL - whatever that's supposed to mean! - Like, y' know, eh? :()

User avatar
TomatoNut95
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2069
Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 11:11 am
Location: Texas Zone 8

Yep, I know! I prefer seeing words spelled out to, my.......Best Friend Forever....is pretty bad about abbriviating everything when she texts. Maybe she's just in a rush, and I admit that if I'm in a rush or I'd rather not attempt to spell out long stuff like diatomaceous earth, I just abbriviate.

(LOL means 'Laughing Out Loud' these days) 😋



Return to “Organic Insect and Plant Disease Control”