Eating “White Dirt”: Exploring the Health Risks and Cultural Significance of Kaolin Consumption
Abstract
Georgia is renowned as the global epicenter of the kaolin industry, a clay colloquially referred to as “white dirt”. This substance is often consumed as a form of pica, a condition characterized by the ingestion of nonfood substances. The Piedmont region of Georgia is home to vast deposits of kaolin, with mining operations concentrated in Sandersville. As such, the ingestion of this mineral has strong roots within rural Georgia communities, with those who participate reasoning that the mineral helps with gastrointestinal issues, and others who simply crave it. There is some truth to their claim: Kaopectate, an anti-diarrheal drug, once had kaolin pectin as its active ingredient due to the ability of the compound to absorb excess fluids and bacterial toxins in the gastrointestinal tract. However, in 2004, the company was forced to remove the kaolin pectate and replace it with bismuth subsalicylate, due to a lawsuit with the state of California owning to high levels of lead. Every adult dose of the medication was reported to have approximately 25 micrograms of lead, and every child dose between 6-12 micrograms of lead. Ingestion of kaolin is also associated with iron-deficiency anemia, and those who crave it may do so because of the disorder. What makes kaolin ingestion a particularly sensitive public health issue is its profound roots in Georgia culture. This presentation aims to explore the health hazards associated with eating kaolin, while also honing the emotional intelligence skills so deeply important in public health practices.
Keywords
kaolin, lead poisoning, emotional intelligence skills, emotional intelligence in public health, cultural aspects
Eating “White Dirt”: Exploring the Health Risks and Cultural Significance of Kaolin Consumption
Georgia is renowned as the global epicenter of the kaolin industry, a clay colloquially referred to as “white dirt”. This substance is often consumed as a form of pica, a condition characterized by the ingestion of nonfood substances. The Piedmont region of Georgia is home to vast deposits of kaolin, with mining operations concentrated in Sandersville. As such, the ingestion of this mineral has strong roots within rural Georgia communities, with those who participate reasoning that the mineral helps with gastrointestinal issues, and others who simply crave it. There is some truth to their claim: Kaopectate, an anti-diarrheal drug, once had kaolin pectin as its active ingredient due to the ability of the compound to absorb excess fluids and bacterial toxins in the gastrointestinal tract. However, in 2004, the company was forced to remove the kaolin pectate and replace it with bismuth subsalicylate, due to a lawsuit with the state of California owning to high levels of lead. Every adult dose of the medication was reported to have approximately 25 micrograms of lead, and every child dose between 6-12 micrograms of lead. Ingestion of kaolin is also associated with iron-deficiency anemia, and those who crave it may do so because of the disorder. What makes kaolin ingestion a particularly sensitive public health issue is its profound roots in Georgia culture. This presentation aims to explore the health hazards associated with eating kaolin, while also honing the emotional intelligence skills so deeply important in public health practices.
