Diatomaceous Earth - A Multipurpose Eco-Friendly Solution

Some of the world's most valuable minerals of the present age were formed around millions of years back, for instance, petroleum, natural gas etc. They are extracted from fossils.

 In other words, rocks formed out of living organisms that lived and died millions of years ago. These rocks formed from the skeletal fossils were normally found at the bottom of the seas or lakes. They are known as sedimentary rocks. Diatomaceous earth is also made out of sedimentary rocks that are composed of 'diatoms'. Diatoms are a different form of algae that has a shell on its single-celled body.

Many researches believe that diatomaceous rocks are a wonder of nature. The reason is straight; these all-natural rocks play a very important role in our day to day life. Let us take a quick look into its applications and learn why this fossilized earth is considered so important?

1. Diatomaceous earth, also known as diatomite is usually abbreviated as DE. Different types of DE are rendered by different processes in order to meet diverse requirements. Food quality DE is primarily used in agriculture. It is used as a natural insecticide that kills insects very safely and naturally. Apart from being used as an insecticide and mineral pesticide, DE is used to prevent clustering of milled flour.

2. DE is used as a fodder for livestock. It acts as a cleansing agent in their body and thus improves overall nutrition absorption.

3. Diatomaceous earth plays a big role in soil management science. When mixed with the soil it functions as a desiccant. A desiccant is something that absorbs moisture from the surrounding and by doing so keeps the surrounding dry. In farming or plantations, DE is used to dry spots that retain excess moisture. Thereby it offers the apt amount of dryness required for the plants to grow. Diatomaceous earth is also used in stables, chicken coops and barns to purify the soil of its toxic liquids.

4. Food grade diatomaceous earth powder is used as a detoxifying agent for both humans as well as animals.

5. Diatomaceous earth is used as a medication for worms and parasites in animals and humans. It is clinically proven that around 80 percent of human population and almost all of the animals host worms or parasites within their alimentary track. They remain fairly asymptomatic to a certain extend but certainly they steal the body of its nutrients. This is why they are known as parasites as they live on nutrients ingested by another body. Diatomaceous Earth acts on such worms and parasites and slowly kills them. The process doesn't cause any harmful reaction within the user's body.

6. Yet another wonderful domestic use of DE is its application as a pet care product. Diatomaceous earth kills ticks, fleas, lice and other harmful insect that cause infections in dogs and birds. Powdered DE can be sprinkled on the pets to make them immune to such harmful organisms. It is entirely safe even if the pets consume it.

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