A report addressing the use of cornstarch powder as an alternative to talcum powder — the alternative was researched and presented as an impact-mitigation measure, within the study of the urban metabolisms and impacts of talc mining and talcum powder production in India.
The report was written in 2023.
Talcum powder may be a product very simply found in stores around us, but the process of its production is much more complex.
Most talc production begins at mines in Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Andhra Pradesh (SKKU Minerals 2020) (Indian Bureau of Mines 2013). Large, open-pit mines are subject to blasting and drilling processes to extract pure/contaminated talc ore for commercial processing. Industry-grade machinery then take this ore through a multi-level process of crushing, grinding, powdering, and drying, releasing large amounts of heat, particulate matter and several other pollutants into our air, water, and ecosystems (Michelle Llamas 2022).
The quantum of such emissions further rises with the demand[1] for talc in the country for domestic purposes and exports. Keeping in line with demand, India has a rather liberal and unrestricted import/export policy for talc (Indian Bureau of Mines 2020) that indirectly paves the way for illegal mining in animal sanctuaries – particularly affecting tiger habitats in the country (Thomas 2010) (Barnett 2003). A 2020 article published in Blue and Green Tomorrow claimed that Unilever, a leading consumer goods company, sourced their talc supply from mines in tiger sanctuaries such as Rajasthan’s Sariska Tiger Reserve and Jamwa Ramgarh Wildlife Sanctuary. Such demand also negates efforts of any conservation activities (Laycock 2020).
The environmental impact of talc mining is not restricted to loss of habitat. Aside from emissions of PM and harmful gases like CO2, Sulphur Oxides and Nitrogen Oxide (US Environmental Protection Agency n.d.), areas around mines also turn into hotspots for huge blocks and mining waste resulting from the use of dynamite in blasting activities (Laycock 2020). One larger question arising from this is, how are these wastes disposed? Are they even being disposed?
Additionally, mining activities release a large amount of heavy metals into the environment, which can trickle down to the rest of the ecosystem through air and water. Contaminated/disused mining sites have high concentrations of heavy metals, which lead to soil erosion and reduced fertility, affecting the vegetation in these areas (Briffa, Sinagra and Blundell 2020).
Heavy metals, specifically asbestos – which Indian and potentially greater Southeast Asian populations are exposed to – can cause severe incurable health conditions in those who work with and consume talcum powder (Fitzgerald, BS, PG, et al. 2019). The cited paper offers a few suggestions to address this issue:
However, the practical efficacy of these recommendations in India is a matter that needs addressing.
Heavy metal concentrations can still be managed. Plants can continue to be grown in areas of such contamination, through capping[2] or using hyperaccumulator plants[3] (Briffa, Sinagra and Blundell 2020). Within the scope of this study, it remains unclear whether these are practised or feasible in India.
There are numerous solutions to address direct impacts of talcum powder manufacturing, but all problems listed above begin at the mining. So the larger question here is, is there an alternative to mining?
I would argue that there isn’t – specifically since talc comes from talc ore, which is located within the Earth (Michelle Llamas 2022). Unless some way to extract ore from the earth, without mining and drilling, is invented, I see it difficult to eliminate mining entirely.
Within such complexities, I see cornstarch powder as a more promising solution.
Corn (or maize in India) is an ideal summer crop. Temperatures of 17-23°C are ideal, but sufficiently moist soils will allow it to grow even in temperatures as high as 38°C. Corn can also be grown on lands where other soil-improving crops like beans, alfalfa, clover have been previously grown (EOS Data Analytics 2023).
Once a yield of maize is harvested, it is put through a series of processes to extract starch. In India, the process begins with cleaning the corn of dust, sand, metal, and other impurities. It is then soaked in water of 50°C temperature for about 42 hours so the kernels absorb water, grow, and release starch. Corn is then milled to separate the germ, using disc mills – this germ contains corn oil, which is washed, dewatered, and dried to be further processed for oil, or used as animal feed. The corn is dewatered on a gravity arc screen which releases starch milk, a product to aid in separating starch and gluten. A special mill grinds the harder sections of corn enough to free the starch almost completely, and the leftover fibers are put through additional screens to further release starch milk. A disc separator then separates starch from gluten, and the starch is sent to a starch-washing hydro cyclone for greater purity and concentration. The starch is dewatered using a specially designed peeler centrifuge or rotary drum filter and is finally sent to a flash drying system. (Microtech Engineering Group n.d.)