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EPA STUDY SHOWS MINIMAL RISK TO CONSUMERS WHO USE VERMICULITE IN GARDENING
Release Date: 08/22/2000
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FOR RELEASE: TUESDAY, AUG. 22, 2000
EPA STUDY SHOWS MINIMAL RISK TO CONSUMERS
WHO USE VERMICULITE IN GARDENING
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that a study of gardening uses of vermiculite shows that some products contain low levels of asbestos, but the risk to consumers is very low.
Vermiculite is a naturally occurring granular substance mined for uses in horticultural products and insulation materials. For lawn and garden uses, it is often sold straight to be mixed with soil by the consumer or in pre-mixed potting soils.
“EPA is making this information available as part of our effort to expand the public’s right to know and protect public health and the environment,” said Susan Wayland, Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances. “We tested a number of bags of straight vermiculite and pre-mixed potting soil that contained vermiculite. Low levels of asbestos were found in a handful of these bags, primarily those bags of straight vermiculite. These levels were very low and do not pose significant health risks. However, we feel it is important for consumers to be armed with this information when making their decisions.”
EPA recommends that consumers use pre-mixed potting soils, which ordinarily contain more moisture and much less vermiculite than pure vermiculite products and are therefore less likely to generate dust. EPA’s analysis indicates that these pre-mixed products pose little to no risk of exposure. Consumers may also want to purchase soil-supplementing materials other than vermiculite, such as peat, sawdust, perlite or bark although EPA does not endorse the use of any particular product. EPA also recommends that consumers who are mixing vermiculite-only products with soil, do so outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, keep the vermiculite damp during use to avoid dust, and avoid bringing dust into the home on clothing.
This investigation was conducted in two phases. Initially, 16 vermiculite products from the Seattle area were analyzed and one of these products was found to have asbestos at a level that could pose a potential for exposure. In the second phase, 38 vermiculite products from across the country were analyzed and five contained levels that could pose a potential for exposure, all five were straight vermiculite products. Seventeen of the 38 products were found to have trace amounts of asbestos.
Vermiculite can often contain a range of other minerals including, in some cases, low levels of asbestos. Asbestos can pose a risk if fibers become airborne and are inhaled into the lungs. Breathing high levels of these fibers, which are so small they float in the air unseen, can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest and the abdominal cavity, and asbestosis, a condition in which the lungs become scarred with fibrous tissue.
EPA’s report raises questions about the potential risk to workers who may use vermiculite products on a regular basis and face significantly greater exposures. EPA has shared the results of this report with Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the Mining Safety Health Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
EPA is also developing a set of standard scientific protocols for sampling in-place vermiculite insulation in the attics and walls of people’s homes to help assess the potential health risks.
To obtain a copy of the study or to find more information about asbestos visit EPA’s web page at: www.epa.gov/opptintr/asbestos or call the TSCA Hotline at 202-554-1404.
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