Earth’s Quiet Alchemy: The Chemistry That Connects Life

A planet comes alive

Oct 15, 2025

Intro

When I was still studying international business in Denmark in 1989, I realized that I had chosen the wrong path. But, I had academic scholarships, grants based upon financial need, and to change majors at that point would have meant spending at least an extra year in school and acquiring tens of thousands of dollars in debt. I decided to suck it up and stick it out, concluding my studies and receiving a B.S. in Business Economics, Magna Cum Laude, from Susquehanna University in 1991. After graduation I headed to San Francisco for orientation to the Church of the Brethren Volunteer Service or BVS, with dreams of landing an assignment on a farm in Ireland, or New Mexico. Neither happened, and instead I ended up at a Catholic Worker House in San Antonio, TX working with homeless families. God has a strange sense of humor, and timing. I held onto my dream of farming, and after I had already met the love of my life, who would become my wife of thirty three years, I took a big risk and accepted an apprenticeship on a French farm south of Limoges, working on a 120 acre farm where we employed a team of four Haflingers (double-ponies from the Swiss mountains) to work the land, raising organic mutton, beef, pork and turkey.

It was one of the loneliest periods of my life, and yet one of the most rich and influential. It helped me realize that I didn’t have the physical constitution to be a farmer, as I injured both of my shoulders with the daily effort of shucking out the cow stalls during the winter. I returned to the United States, still clinging to some ideas of other agricultural projects (I’d been accepted to work at a farm in Canada breeding heirloom varieties of cows), and a lingering attraction to a pouty French woman in Bordeaux. When I reunited with Kerrie in Philadelphia, and we went out to dinner at a favorite Middle Eastern hole-in-the-wall on 4th St, Alyan’s, I felt like a stone falling to the bottom of a cool clear pond. I had made it home, and the woman I loved was there, ready to take me back. So, I set aside my farming fantasies, and soon settled into a full-time job and full-time studies to become a Registered Nurse. Kerrie and I moved in together, and I worked harder than I ever have in my life.

More than thirty years later, I have no regrets. I’m a mediocre gardener, a huge fan of agricultural CSAs (we have shares in vegetable, fruit, dairy, cheese and raw milk CSAs year-round), and I still think about the connections between the state of our soil, the food we eat, and our health. Unlike most of my Substacks, I wrote this one with a lot of help from Perplexity AI. It was the result of an hours long “conversation”, in which I asked questions based upon what I know from decades of reading about agriculture, nutrition and health, as well as what I have been learning more recently about ionic sulfated trace minerals. This is not meant to offer any health advice or make any health claims; rather, it is intended to be a broadly educational and balanced discussion, with references to support what I already know to be true, but which may be new and inspiring to my readers. Cheers!

A Planet Comes Alive

The story of life on Earth begins far beneath our feet. Around 4.3 billion years ago, the young planet cooled, oceans condensed, and minerals in the crust began reacting with water and sunlight. Researchers have long explored how the meeting of rock and sea created microscopic chemical laboratories where metals such as iron, magnesium, and sulfur carried electrical charges strong enough to form the molecules of life .wikipedia+1

At that time, there were only a few hundred types of minerals—mostly simple silicates, oxides, and sulfides . As volcanoes erupted and the first microbes used sunlight, these minerals multiplied into thousands. Over eons, life and minerals co‑evolved. Geologist Robert Hazen describes this as mineral evolution: the way biology and the Earth’s chemistry expanded each other’s possibilities .astrobiology.nasa+1

From that ancient partnership came soil—a living skin of mineral particles inhabited by microorganisms, fungi, and eventually plants. This mixture gave rise to everything we now call life, including our own species.

Human Civilizations and the Living Ground

When humans began farming about 10 000 years ago, they instinctively followed nature’s pattern of renewal. Farmers returned everything to the soil—straw, animal manure, and even human waste . This kept nutrients cycling and fed the microbes that made minerals soluble and plants strong.newalchemists+1

Throughout history, soil was revered as sacred. Ancient Chinese and Indian farmers described it as “the flesh of the Earth.” Their understanding that waste and decay renewed fertility sustained civilizations for thousands of years. Soil, water, and life formed one continuous loop.

The Industrial Detour

That partnership changed with industrialization. By the early 1900s, scientists had discovered how to capture nitrogen from the air using fossil fuels—the Haber–Bosch process. This innovation increased food supply dramatically, but it broke the nutrient cycle that had balanced humanity and land. Urban sewer systems carried organic matter away , and petroleum‑based chemical fertilizers replaced natural compost .jstage.jst+3

Researchers have since examined how this shift damaged the invisible networks that sustain soil life. Earth’s once‑microbial soils grew dependent on large chemical doses to stay productive. As author Anne Biklé observed, this dependency led to “a biological crash beneath the plow.”

The Consequence: Malnourished Soil, Malnourished People

Modern research continues to document how degraded soils produce less‑nutritious crops. Studies show today’s produce contains far fewer vitamins and minerals than in the mid‑20th century—iron has dropped roughly 25 %, magnesium 30 %, vitamin C 15 %, and calcium 40 % .pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+1

Minerals that nourish crops also sustain our gut microbes. When trace minerals disappear from food, the human microbiome—the colony of beneficial microorganisms that shapes our health—weakens . This may contribute to fatigue, inflammation, and rising rates of chronic disease, though future studies are needed to confirm direct connections.nature+1

Writers such as Judith Schwartz have emphasized that “the health of our soil is the health of our civilization.” The phrase “you are what you eat” might now read “we are what our soil becomes.”

Restoring What Was Lost

Fortunately, soil has an innate capacity to recover if given time and care. Around the world, farmers are adopting regenerative agriculture—using compost, crop rotation, and cover crops to keep roots in the ground . Researchers have documented steady improvements in soil carbon, moisture retention, and microbial variety within a decade of these practices.ecofarmingdaily+1

However, minerals take much longer to rebuild. Rock weathering, the natural source of trace elements, operates over centuries. Even regenerative farms cannot always replace the tiny ions removed during each harvest. Scientists now propose that reclaiming deeper soil health will require biological and chemical strategies working together .commission.europa

A Catalyst from the Mineral World

In 2013, laboratory researchers evaluated an ionized sulfate mineral solution for its ability to bind and neutralize multiple contaminants . Laboratory data suggest that, in small doses—around 2 milliliters per liter of water—this natural sulfate solution removed between 80 and 99.9 percent of a wide range of pollutants within 24 hours.13-345-NSF_53_Adya_Pharmaceutical_Agricultural_Industrial_Chemical_Test.pdf

Key results included:

Pesticides and herbicides: such as DDT, atrazine, and 2,4‑D reduced by more than 99 %.
Drug residues: antibiotics, acetaminophen, and hormones dropped > 99 %.
Industrial chemicals and PAHs: reduced 85 – 95 %.
Heavy metals: arsenic, lead, and mercury fell below detection limits; chromium VI converted to less‑toxic chromium III.

Perhaps most notable, treated water maintained a near‑neutral pH (7.5), suggesting potential environmental compatibility. While results are encouraging, future studies are needed to determine whether similar outcomes occur in soil systems and at scale .aurminawater+1

Scientists hypothesize that the mechanism involves ionic flocculation—metal ions such as iron and magnesium attract and neutralize pollutants, forming inert precipitates that settle out while leaving trace minerals available for microbial processes.

From Water to Soil

If the method works in water, could it also help heal soil? Researchers have explored this idea with early field trials, proposing that small, well‑managed doses might reduce residues of pesticides and pharmaceuticals that suppress soil microbiota. At the same time, the dissolved ions might supply essential micronutrients—iron for microbial respiration, magnesium for enzymes, and potassium for root growth.

Such an approach would not replace regenerative agriculture but could complement it. Once contaminants decline, microbial and fungal colonies can recolonize more easily. The combination of regenerative management with mineral‑based remediation may shorten recovery timelines—a possibility researchers are beginning to test systematically.

Working Together: Chemistry as a Partner in Life

Science often divides chemistry and biology, but nature never did. Life began as an exchange between the two. By revisiting that connection, we might discover faster ways to rebuild the soil’s vitality.

When ionic minerals act as helpers rather than substitutes, they may rekindle the same processes that first linked life and Earth’s geology billions of years ago. David Montgomery and Anne Biklé write that “healing the land and healing ourselves are two sides of the same coin.” Restoration is therefore not just a technical project—it is a cultural one.

A Possible Future

Can we fully restore the world’s soils to the richness of centuries past? Researchers remain cautious but optimistic. Modeling studies suggest that with global regenerative practices—augmented by safe chemical or mineral treatments—substantial soil renewal could occur within a single lifetime .weforum+1

Such progress would ripple outward. Healthier soils mean more resilient crops, nutrient‑dense foods, cleaner water, and renewed biodiversity. In turn, these improvements strengthen human communities that depend on land for every meal and breath.

Conclusion: Returning to the Living Earth

Every handful of soil tells a 4‑billion‑year story—from the first microbial biofilms on volcanic rock to our present, exhausted fields. Exploring carefully designed solutions such as an ionized sulfate mineral solution helps us understand how Earth’s original chemistry might again serve life rather than industry.

Laboratory data suggest such materials could help neutralize residues and give microbes a cleaner stage on which to perform their work, but future studies are needed to confirm these effects in real soils. Used responsibly and studied openly, these mineral innovations may one day complement traditional stewardship instead of replacing it.

The challenge, as always, is humility—to learn from the deep intelligence of the ground beneath us. If we do, we may yet see soils flourish again and, with them, the vitality of every living being connected to their dust.

Zhenjiu

Oct 16

A side note regarding Fritz Haber. He won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1903 for his process of fixing nitrogen into solid compounds, which revolutionized the farming industry. Years later, as an ardent pro-German, he worked for the Kaiser's regime developing poison gas. After the war ended, he continued his gas research with high honors and appointments, even though Haber was Jewish. His last creation was Zyclon A, which of course led to Zyclon B. After Hitler came to power, Haber was stripped of his standing, his estate confiscated, and he died in poverty in Switzerland in 1934.

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1 reply by Scott Marsland, FNP-C

Patrick Smith

Oct 15

Thanks for this, Scott. Always good to know more about the human planet connection.

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