Quote Originally Posted by Repsrul View Post
Has anyone else heard that Vermiculite is going to be made illegal to buy, own or use? I have heard in my wonderful state of New Jersey it is already almost impossible to get unless you know someone, Thank goodness I do. I heard the reason it is being taken off the market is because Home Depot came out with some kind of proof that it causes cancer. I don’t know? I thought it was organic and safe to use. I hate peralite it does not hold in moisture and the other stuff on the market just does not work as well.
I haven't heard anything about states banning the use or sale of it, however, I used to use alot of Vermiculite when packaging hazardous chemicals for shipping. It is true that it can cause cancern if particulates are inhaled for a very extended period of time. I attached a link to an MSDS for Vermiculite. It does recommend using a respirator fitted with a particulates filter when using the product. The MSDS does not make mention of it potentially being a Carcinogen, but I have read about it elsewhere. Just take precautions when using it. I typically do not wear a respirator, but I do mix it outdoors instead of in my facility, to mitigate the amount of particulates I am exposed to in a confined area.

http://www.schundler.com/msdsverm.htm