Vermiculite Quick Facts
What is vermiculite?
Vermiculite is produced from ore mined throughout the world. It is often used in potting mixes.
Where does the asbestos come from and why is it a health concern?
Vermiculite ores often contain a range of other minerals including, in some cases, asbestos. Asbestos is not a major contaminant, and only a few ore deposits have been found to contain more than trace amounts of asbestos minerals. However, exposure to airborne asbestos particles has been linked to respiratory ailments including cancer, and EPA is concerned about the increased risk to consumers and workers from use of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite products.
What Can Consumers Do?
To further reduce the low risk associated with the occasional use of vermiculite products during gardening activities, EPA recommends that consumers can do the following:
- Use vermiculite outdoors or in a well-ventilated area
- Keep vermiculite damp while using it to reduce the amount of dust created
- Avoid bringing dust from vermiculite use into the home on clothing
- Use premixed potting soil, which usually contains more moisture and less vermiculite than a pure vermiculite product, and is less likely to generate dust
- Use other soil additives such as peat, sawdust, perlite, or bark