Is vermiculite a safe medium to grow edible plants on?

Question

I've read that vermiculite has the potential to be carcinogenic. It's also been linked with asbestos. DO I need to worry or is it safe for edibles cultivation?

Answer 1

It's probably fine -- just keep it moist.  However, it has no nutrients in it, so you're essentially going to need to supply everything, including micronutrients.  Also, because it's so light weight, plants with much upper growth, like tomato, will just tip over and pull out.

Is there a particular reason you want to use just vermiculite?  If you're going for soilless culture, I'd use straight sand before vermiculite.