Is perlite & vermiculite dust dangerous to lungs!

[Bobberman]

The worse thing is having a cough like I have for three weeks now. I do not use vermiculite or perlite for that reason . Most of the potting mixes use one or another. Who has first hand knowledge of this? I also read that asbestos has been part of the vermiculite mixture!

[hendi_alex]

Many years ago, some of the sources for vermiculite had asbestos. All of the sources should now be free of asbestos content. Still, anything that makes a fine cloud of particulate dust is not good for the lungs. I always handle my vermiculite outside and don't breathe until the dust blows clear of my work area. When working in dust making activity such as sawing, working with fiberglass insulation, demolition in an old house, or even cutting the loan, I always wear a good quality dust mask.

[applestar]

Yep. Dust-fine particles of dry peat moss will irritate too.
I find perlite dust to be particularly stabbing in the throat which is the reason I stopped using it for a very long time. That and the way they just make their way to the top of the soil mix and wash away.... I'm re-considering their use for their micro-pores which makes home for the soil microbes, but if I had the source and means, I think I would prefer ground up brick, pottery and (bio)char(coal).

I never liked vermiculite -- they re-compress into mica flakes.

[Bobberman]

Dust has always been a problem with my job of installing carpet. I get jobs where the animals have urine spots all over the padding and even stuck to the floor. This year was a bad year with one house having tons of fleas even in the grass outside. They had to have several exterminators in there before I replaced the carpet. Old hair pad is the worse with fibers in the air big time!. Having 4 of five animals in the home is something bad for carpet.

[imafan26]

I wet the perlite first when I work with it and I use a respirator if I am mixing up a batch of soil mix.