Pool Filter Sand and Health Hazards?!

[Arical]

Alright I just picked up a bag of PFS, however there is a serious warning on the bag., that is honestly scary.

Health Warning : Lung Injury and Cancer Hazard. Contains free cystalline silica. Do not breathe dust, may cause delayed lung injury!

Prolonged inhalation can cause delayed lung injury including SILICOSIS, a progressive disabling and sometimes fatal lung disease...

Avoid creating dust when handling, using or storing. Use only with adequate ventilation...

So my question is, did I pick up the wrong bag of Pool Filter Sand? Is this still safe to put in my fish tank? Im just worried about my fish!

If this is the same stuff that people have used previously, what did they use a precaution for themselves, is a respiratory mask sufficient?

Anyways just thought I would ask what you guys thought.

Edit: Sorry I meant to post this under Freshwater Fish - General Discussion

 

[blue71]

I dont think that wiuld bee a good choice for a substrate, especially witha ll those warnings and stuff

 

[Arical]

Normally had I seen those warnings I would have ran and never looked back. However PFS has been recommended A LOT and I am just hoping that warning doesn't apply to aquariums.

 

[Blueiz]

Those are just generalized warnings. Breathing dust of any kind can cause serious health consequences, however, you aren't going to be breathing in enough of it to cause concern. The sand is inert. Your fish do not have lungs to breath in dust and there won't be any dust in your tank because the sand will be wet .

 

[Arical]

Awesome! Thank you for the reply Blueiz, I was looking for that kind of reassurance. I'll just make sure I rinse it thoroughly then, sorry for the alarm, that warning gave me a pretty good scare!

 

[mfdrookie516]

dont breathe it lol... any sand will mess up your respiratory tract.. and by breathing it, i mean dont stick your face in it and breathe in real deep... simply pouring it in a bucket slowly wont stir up any dust... thats just a legal disclaimer as im sure somebody has breathed it in and sued somebody over it (go figure)

 

[aquadummy]

ahhhh really? ive been hauling pool sand around for 40 hrs a week for 5 years and our bags don't have warnings. does it work well as substrate? i didn't know? new to the site!

 

[mfdrookie516]

ahhhh really? ive been hauling pool sand around for 40 hrs a week for 5 years and our bags don't have warnings. does it work well as substrate? i didn't know? new to the site!

every bag ive ever got does... since you do it 40 hours a week, im assuming you do this as a job? probably dont have the warnings on the bulk shipments? who knows... anyways, yes it is awesome substrate. Ive got it in all my tanks but one and will never use anything else in a fw tank ever again

 

[DragonFish71]

dont breathe it lol... any sand will mess up your respiratory tract.. and by breathing it, i mean dont stick your face in it and breathe in real deep... simply pouring it in a bucket slowly wont stir up any dust... thats just a legal disclaimer as im sure somebody has breathed it in and sued somebody over it (go figure)

Some folks will snort up anything eh?

 

[newfound77951]

It's like the warnings on the McDonald's coffee cups telling you that the coffee may be hot....there is a danger there but only if you abuse the product. Someone probably did once and the company is covering their butt in case someone tries to sue them. I used PFS in one of my tanks with no problems.

 

[CaptainAhab]

It's not a generalized warning at all. Most sand (esp pool filter, play sand, concrete sand) is composed of silica (quartz). Thus the belief that it's not the best choice for aquariums as diatoms and some algae feed on silica.

Long term exposure to the dust is the issue, not buying a bag and bringing it home.

Silicosis is a real disease.

If your bag doesn't have an MSDS on it you can bet there was one either attached to the pallet, included with the bill of lading or identified somewhere. OSHA tends to take the MSDS rather seriously.

Some additional info: Silicosis in Construction
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/silicacrystalline/

 

[Jaybird]

They put warnings on hair dryers stating not to use them in the shower or while sleeping. It's getting to the point that people just aren't paying attention to the warnings because they put them on EVERYTHING. Like the person mentioned above: it's on McDonald's coffee cups. Soon it will be on Slurpee cups....."Caution: contents are cold. Drinking quickly can cause extreme pain", or how about on PizzaHut's stuffed crust pizzas "Warning, yes, this will make your a$$ fat"

The sand will be fine. Rinse it well so that the tank water clears quickly instead of staying cloudy. You can end up with a big diatom bloom from the silicates in the sand, but it will go away quickly enough....to be replaced with an algae problem....which will then go away.

 

[Blueiz]

LOL Jaybird.

We had MSDS sheets for EVERYTHING where I used to work..even the magic markers.

 

[Arical]

Interesting I was unaware that diatoms fed on the silica. Is there anything I should do to get the diatom bloom over quickly? The sand has been in my tank for a few days now and I haven't noticed any algae growth at all. Im worried what will happen when my new lights arrive :/

 

[mfdrookie516]

ive never had an issue, nor has anybody i know of...

 

[Blueiz]

As your tank matures the diatoms will go away. It happens to almost every new set up regardless of the type of substrate you use.

 

[jim692]

Silica is not good for you at all. The fine particles of dust get into your lungs and cause scar tissue. It is a big deal because very few exposures can cause big problems. Scarred lung cannot be repaired. You should wear a protective mask to keep the fine dust particles out of your lungs. Keeping the sand wet so it cannot get airborne is also a solution. A lot of construction workers had issues with silica and silicosis by cutting concrete dry. Now wet saws are primarily used to keep the dust from getting airborne. If you are working with this stuff ,you should use the proper protective equipment (PPE).
http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/crystalline-factsheet.pdf

 

[WhiteDevil]

If you are worried, put it into a 5g bucket while the hose is running in it, or have a friend or foe hold the hose and wet it down as you pour, it will be dust free.


My PFS bag didnt have this warning, I got mine from the great indoors.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

On this note, is there a particular place where you can find the ultra-white PFS? I checked Leslie's online and they only list something called Zeo Sand, which is a green-colored Zeolite?

And how much would I need to cover the bottom of a 225 (72 x 24) with a couple inches?

Also, would this be a good substrate for a cichlid tank?

 

[mfdrookie516]

floyd, yes it would be a good substrate for cichlids, especially african or sa/ca, or any other fish for that matter lol. I love it, will never have gravel again. Its so easy to care for. As for ultra white... never seen any that didnt have a tan color to it. I got most of mine at meijer for $1.99 a bag, 50lb bags. As for how much... well, in comparison, i used 3 bags in my 150, its 60x24x24... ive got about 2-3 inches... id say probably 4 would do it.