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Diatomite rock sample from Sisquoc Formation Scanning electron micrograph of diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth (/ ˌ d aɪ. ə t ə ˈ m eɪ ʃ ə s / DY-ə-tə-MAY-shəs), also known as diatomite (/ d aɪ ˈ æ t ə m aɪ t / dy-AT-ə-myte), celite, or kieselguhr, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that can be crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder.
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Diatomaceous earth is used for a variety of purposes including for water filtration, as a mild abrasive, in cat litter, and as a dynamite stabilizer. Dwindling diatoms and the mixed layer Earth's oceans teem with microscopic plants called phytoplankton .
Since some of its diatomites, along with those of the underlying Monterey Formation, are of unusual purity and extent, they can be mined as diatomaceous earth. France-based Imerys operates a mine in the Sisquoc and Monterey Formations in the hills south of Lompoc, California, the largest such operation in the world. [7] [8]
Diatomaceous earth is made up of diatom cell walls, an example of biogenic silica. Silica is synthesised in the diatom cell by the polymerisation of silicic acid. This image of diatomaceous earth particles in water is at a scale of 6.236 pixels/μm, the entire image covers a region of approximately 1.13 by 0.69 mm.
There are a number of toxic and non-toxic methods of controlling sciarids and their larvae, including diatomaceous earth, powdered cinnamon, [5] or by placing smells they dislike around the plant such as dryer sheets or oils like lavender and peppermint. [26]
The frustule is composed almost purely of silica, made from silicic acid, and is coated with a layer of organic substance, which was referred to in the early literature on diatoms as pectin, a fiber most commonly found in cell walls of plants. [1] [2] This layer is actually composed of several types of polysaccharides. [3]