Is burning silica gel dangerous?
From wikipedia: Alone, silica gel is non-toxic, non-flammable and chemically unreactive. However, some of the beads may be doped with a moisture indicator, such as cobalt (II) chloride, which is toxic and may be carcinogenic. Cobalt (II) chloride is deep blue when dry (anhydrous) and pink when moist (hydrated). This is the reason most silica gel packets are labeled as dangerous or poisonous when eaten. Crystalline silica dust can cause silicosis but synthetic amorphous silica, which is what silica gel is, does not cause silicosis. A chemically similar substance with far greater porosity is aerogel.
