![]() There’s still a limit to the amount of water silica gel can adsorb, however. They can hold an enormous number of water molecules. Silica gel beads are tiny, but they have millions of microscopic pores. The water molecules cling to the surface of the silica gel, rather than getting inside. Silica gel packets adsorb the water and protect whatever they are packed with. In an enclosed space - like a shoe box - water from the air can settle on any surface, causing damage. (Dry silica gel can also be called an aerogel, because its pores are filled with air.)Īll air has water in it. The 3-D structure that’s left behind is lightweight and full of little holes called pores. To make a gel into a xerogel, the liquid is removed. They form a 3-D structure that holds the liquid in and gives it shape - even if that shape is a bit squishy. Under the right conditions the particles fuse together. And yes, it means “dry.” Silica gel is a dry gel.Īll gels - toothpaste, pudding, some would say your heart and lungs - start out as tiny particles floating in liquid. “Xero-” is the same root word as in Xerox (dry copies) and xerostomia (dry mouth). It’s used in detergents, dyes, food preparation and many other products and industrial processes. In its liquid form sodium silicate is also known as waterglass. Silica gel is a synthetic form of quartz that’s made by acidifying sodium silicate. ![]() You may know it better as sand, but gemstones like amethyst and citrine are also forms of quartz. In its natural form it’s called quartz, the second most common mineral on Earth. So what is this stuff? Is silica gel poisonous? Let’s start with the silica part And one of you was surprised to find they had no flavor and couldn’t be chewed. ![]() Perhaps one of you was surprised to find hard little translucent balls. Perhaps you - or your child - have gotten curious and torn one of those little packets open. The packets usually also say “silica gel,” even though they don’t feel like gel at all. ![]() The ones that say alarming things like “Throw away,” “Do not eat,” and sometimes even “Dangerous.” You know, the ones that come with shoes and electronics. These diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).We need to talk about those ubiquitous little packets of poison. Autoimmune Disease – Studies of workers have shown that silica exposure is associated with increased risk for a variety of autoimmune diseases.Kidney Disease – Studies of workers have shown that increasing levels of silica exposure are associated with increasing risks for chronic kidney disease.This video series provides impact stories from patients and discussion from a physician on the disease. The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Respiratory Health Cross-Sector Council produced Faces of Work-related COPD. Symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing, phlegm or sputum production, and trouble breathing. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – COPD includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.Cancerous cells from the lung can also invade other parts of the body, a process known as metastasis. Lung Cancer – Lung cancer results from cells in the body that grow out of control and develop into tumors.Workers exposed to silica and those who have silicosis are also at increased risk of tuberculosis (TB), a contagious and potentially life-threatening infection.Įxposure to respirable crystalline silica puts workers at risk for developing other serious diseases including the following: There is no cure for silicosis and some patients may require lung transplantation. Silicosis can develop or progress even after workplace exposures have stopped. However, the disease can occur much more quickly after heavy exposures. Silicosis results in permanent lung damage and is a progressive, debilitating, and sometimes fatal disease.Ĭhronic silicosis typically occurs after 10 or more years of exposure to respirable crystalline silica. The particles also reduce the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen. Silica dust particles become trapped in lung tissue causing inflammation and scarring. Photo by NIOSH.īreathing in dust from silica-containing materials can lead to silicosis. An x-ray of a lung with silicosis and progressive massive fibrosis (PMF).
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