Diatomaceous earth (DE), also known as kieselguhr or diatomite, consists of the biogenic skeletons of millions of microscopic unicellular plants known as diatoms. During the late Tertiary Period (5 to 20 million years ago), massive deposits of these diatoms were formed in the freshwater lakes which covered much of what is now Lake Elmenteita in the great Rift Valley. Today, DE has hundreds of uses. It’s a filtration media to filter liquids such as water, beer, wine, and chemicals. It’s a functional additive in products such as paint, plastics, rubber, and insecticides It’s an absorbent for cat litter and floor dry, and as a source of silica in calcium and other silicates.