Silica

Silica MSDS

What is Silica?

Silica is clear and tasteless. It is the oxide of silicon, the second most abundant element in the earth's crust. Silica is present in most natural waters. Silica is commonly found as quartz and sand. Typical concentrations lie between 1 and 30 mg/L, but higher concentrations exist in brackish waters and brines. Silica can form a harmful scale on equipment and heat transfer surfaces, particularly steam turbine blades.

Silica Exposure and Health Risks

Exposure to high doses of silica leads to non-permanent, short-term inflammation. It will irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. Organ damage and immunological stress can occur through prolonged or repeated exposure.

Regulations

There are no listed regulations or restrictions for Silica concentration in water.

Measuring Silica

Dissolved Silica concentration in water can be measured in units of parts per million (ppm). We carry instrumental kits from CHEMetrics that determine Silica levels in water. All of our Silica products can be viewed HERE.

These Silica Kits are designed to accurately measure silica levels in water using the Heteropoly Blue Method.
K9011	The K-9011 Silica CHEMETS Kit is used to measure silica levels from 0-0.2 ppm.
K9010	The K-9010 Silica CHEMETS Kit is used to measure silica levels from 0-1ppm and 1-10ppm.
K9003	The K-9003 Silica Vacu-vials Kit is used to measure silica levels from 0-10 ppm.

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