Loretta - the cautionary statement is for ingesting or eating lots of powdered alum when it is airborne. Eating it applied to eating massive amounts. Similar warnings apply to bentonite that evidently is used in Phos-loc. The same warning applies to taking too many vitamins and a lot of other products. Aspirin and other good for you products can be problems if taken in massive amounts. If you drink 3-5 gallons of water per day it can kill you. When alum is dissolved in water the hazards are minimized when used correctly.
This is from the MSDS for bentonite:
Appearance: cream to gray brown powder.
Warning! Causes eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation. May cause cancer based on animal
studies. Hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air). The toxicological properties of this material have
not been fully investigated.
Target Organs: Respiratory system, eyes, skin.
Potential Health Effects
Eye: Causes eye irritation. May cause chemical conjunctivitis.
Skin: Causes skin irritation.
Ingestion: Ingestion of large amounts may cause gastrointestinal irritation. The toxicological properties
of this substance have not been fully investigated.
Inhalation: Causes respiratory tract irritation. The toxicological properties of this substance have not
been fully investigated. When inhaled as a dust or fume, may cause benign pneumoconiosis. Can
produce delayed pulmonary edema.
Chronic: May cause cancer according to animal studies. Effects may be delayed. Chronic inhalation may
cause lung changes, chest pain, breath shortness, and bronichitis.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 07/18/13 04:08 PM.
