EM ceramics: uses, manufacturer claims and what to really make of them

Print

Grey or pink beads in the jug, a ring at the bottom of the drinking trough, a tube in the rainwater butt, powder in paint or in the vegetable garden: EM ceramics form a range of their own in the world of effective microorganisms. They are also the products surrounded by the most surprising promises.

We sell them, and many of our customers like them. This guide explains how they are made, what the manufacturer says about them, what the science says, and how to use them with the right expectations.

How EM ceramics are made

The principle is always the same. A clay, often Japanese Kibushi clay, is fermented with effective microorganisms, then shaped and fired in a kiln. According to the technical data sheets, the firing temperature is what distinguishes the products:

• around 1,200 to 1,300 °C for the grey beads and balls, rings and tubes: the ceramic is dense and very hard-wearing;
• around 800 to 900 °C for the pink beads: the ceramic is more porous and more fragile, and is for cold water only.

One point deserves to be stated clearly, and the manufacturer acknowledges it himself: no microorganism survives such firing. An EM ceramic is an inert mineral object. It contains no living bacteria and does not inoculate the water.

The range and its uses

• Grey EM ceramic beads and balls: jug, kettle, coffee maker, washing machine, dishwasher, vase. They last more than ten years if they don't break.
• Pink EM ceramic beads: cold water only (jug, vase, aquarium, pond), to be replaced every six months.
• The ring and the Maxi Tube: a single piece for a large container, such as a drinking trough, a bath or a rainwater butt, for which the 35 mm ceramic Maxi Tube is used.
• Figurines: for the jug, cooking water or the bath.
• Powders: Cera Boost powder for soil, mulch or bokashi, and a fine powder to mix into paint or plaster.

What the manufacturer claims

According to the manufacturer, EM ceramics retain an « information » from the microorganisms after firing and act on water through a « resonance principle ». They are said to improve the structure and taste of water, reduce limescale and oxidation, keep food and cut flowers fresh for longer and, in the case of certain powders, reduce formaldehyde emissions from paints. Some descriptions even go as far as mentioning protection against electromagnetic waves.

We report these claims so that you know what is being said. We do not endorse them.

What the science says

To date, we have found no independent study demonstrating any effect of EM ceramics on water, food or health. The few assessments available all point the same way:

• In the field, trials over several years spread EM ceramic at 150 kg per hectare: no yield gain, and only a slight increase in the protein content of barley, an effect considered rather undesirable.
• The critical reviews available consider the claimed effects of the ceramics, for soil as well as for water, inconceivable in the light of current knowledge.
• The notions of « information » or « resonance » passed on to water by an object do not correspond to any known mechanism in physics or chemistry. The same goes for the « structure » of water, which retains no lasting organisation.

The case of formaldehyde

The manufacturer cites a test: 10 g of ceramic placed in a 60-litre tank reportedly reduced formaldehyde by 90 % in 24 hours. This test has not been published in a scientific journal, no control tank without ceramic is described, and the starting concentration was hundreds of times higher than in a home. A porous ceramic can hold some gases on its surface, as many mineral materials do: this is an ordinary physical phenomenon that has nothing to do with microorganisms. A patent, often put forward, protects an invention but does not prove that it works.

Did you know?

In a jug left uncovered, the chlorine taste of tap water fades by itself within a few hours, as the chlorine evaporates. Part of the improvement in taste attributed to the beads simply comes from this standing in the open air.

What to make of them: our advice

EM ceramics are durable objects, made from natural material, and pleasant to use. Many of our customers enjoy this small daily ritual and find their water more pleasant. We simply advise you to use them for what they are, without giving them a role they cannot fulfil.

• It is not a filter. Non-drinkable water stays non-drinkable with ceramics. Water from a rainwater butt does not become safe to drink.
• It is not a water softener. For very hard water, a water softener remains the recognised solution.
• It is not a treatment: not for swimming pool or hot tub water, nor for plants, nor for animals. Cera Boost is a fine mineral powder, not a protection against disease; for a wound on an animal, call the vet.
• Hygiene and safety: throw away any cracked or broken bead, keep small pieces out of the reach of young children, and do not use the pink beads in hot water.

Emy's tip

Rinse your beads in clean water before first use. After that, every three months, brush the grey beads, soak them overnight in diluted white vinegar, rinse them and boil them for 20 minutes. Replace the pink beads every six months.

If you are looking for measurable effects on a pond, soil or bedding, turn instead to liquid EM products, to be used with the same caution: see for example our guide Looking after a pond or wildlife pond with EM. And for swimming pools, first read our guide EM and swimming pools.

Why we offer them

We sell these ceramics because our customers ask for them, because they are carefully made and because they last for years. But we would rather tell you what has been demonstrated and what has not, than let you buy a promise. It is the same approach as throughout the « Going further » section of this guide, summed up in our guide What the science says about EM. The rules governing how these objects may be presented are explained in the guide EM and regulations.

Key points

An EM ceramic is an object made of fermented, then fired clay, with no living microorganisms. Its effects on water are manufacturer claims that have not been demonstrated. Use it as a pleasant, durable object, never as a filter, a water softener or a treatment.

In summary

EM ceramics are made from clay fermented with EM, then fired at between 800 and 1,300 °C: they no longer contain any living microorganisms. The manufacturer attributes effects to them on water, limescale, food preservation or indoor air, but no independent study confirms them, and the mechanisms put forward do not correspond to anything known. You can use them as durable, pleasant objects, well maintained, without expecting them to act as a filter, a water softener or a treatment.

Related products

Best Seller

EM Bokashi pond ball | 4 pieces

Reduce and eliminate sludge in ponds, water features and wildlife ponds

€24.50

New Arrival

EM Drink Aronia Fizz, sparkling aronia drink

Rich in enzymes, vitamins and antioxidants

€3.08

Best Seller

Pink EM ceramic beads | 50 beads

Removes chlorine and unwanted residues from water

€10.15

Soap with EM | Body & Bath

No synthetic additives, gentle, kind to your skin

€8.09

Other topics in the guide

Vermicomposting30 sheets →Composting25 sheets →Bokashi24 sheets →