Is diatom mud harmful to the human body?

In the decoration industry, more and more people use diatom mud when painting. Because diatoms are something that exists in the ocean, after thousands of years of evolution, they have become extremely airtight. Therefore, after processing, diatomaceous earth can be used not only in the decoration and construction industry, but also in other industries. But when using diatom mud for decoration, will it be harmful to the human body like other materials?

Diatoms are a type of algae in the ocean. After billions of years of sedimentation and mineralization, these algae will form diatom minerals. These diatom minerals are also called diatomaceous earth or diatom mud. Their main component is protein, and their texture is soft and porous. The number of micropores per unit area is thousands of times higher than that of charcoal. Therefore, the extremely strong physical adsorption properties of diatom minerals have been widely used in many fields after precision processing.

Diatom mud is used as a home wall decoration building material and first emerged in Japan. Diatomaceous earth wall materials have the advantages of heat preservation, sound insulation, heat insulation, odor removal, and air humidity regulation. However, the more refined the diatom mud is, the worse its firmness when decorated on the wall. Therefore, many manufacturers on the market will mix other materials into it. The main additive is calcium hydroxide, commonly known as quicklime. This diatom mud with added slaked lime will show strong alkalinity. Strong alkaline diatom mud is more plastic and firmer.

After the construction of the strong alkaline diatom mud with added calcium hydroxide, the dust or suspended droplets scattered in the air will irritate the human respiratory mucosa. Although the degree is much lighter than that of pure calcium hydroxide, it can also cause symptoms such as sneezing and coughing, which is especially obvious in people with sensitive constitutions. In severe cases, it can even cause pneumonia and other symptoms.

Nowadays, the prices and merchants of diatom mud wall materials in the market are very chaotic, making it difficult to distinguish the good from the bad. Consumers can identify them from two aspects. The first is to understand the ingredients through the product description before purchase. Any diatom mud with added calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide is a strong alkaline diatom mud. Consumers can choose according to the amount of added ingredients. The second is to conduct a simple test with pH test paper before use, and the result is accurate and true. In short, when it comes to choosing diatom mud, it is recommended that you consume rationally and it is better not to use it than to use it incorrectly.