Another Line of Evidence Debunking the Belief on the Role of the ‘Lumot’ to White Sand Production

In our previous post titled “DISPELLING THE LOCAL MISCONCEPTION ON WHITE SAND PRODUCTION. ,” ( https://www.boracayislandnews.com/dispelling-the-local-misconception-on-white-sand-production) we explained that Boracay sand, composed mostly of calcium (calcareous), feels cool to the feet, akin to chalk. Given its high calcium content, the raw materials for its production should also be rich in calcium, such as corals and limestone.

Conversely, algae, similar to vegetables, are rich in potassium, not calcium. They cannot decompose to form white sand because “you cannot give what you don’t have (Calcium).” This holds true for the major components.

Now, let’s delve into the minor elemental compositions to determine the source of white sand among the algae, corals, volcanic ash, and terrestrial sand. This can be likened to Filipino dishes; for instance, we recognize “adobo” because it contains soy sauce and vinegar, but no tomato sauce, while “menudo” has tomato sauce. Therefore, can we determine the identity based on the minor ingredients?

Over 200 samples of white sand from various locations across the island, including the front beach, Bulabog, and Puka, were collected, along with samples of algae, volcanic ash, and terrestrial sand near the Casa Pilar area. These samples underwent elemental composition analysis using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), enabling multi-element analysis. The elemental concentrations from sodium (Na) to uranium (U) in each sample were processed using computer software called “Statgraphics” to conduct Principal Component Analysis.

Here, the computer categorized the samples into groups based on their elemental concentrations. The figure illustrates that all white sand and coral samples clustered into Group F, while all algae samples clustered into Group G. Terrestrial sand and volcanic ash formed separate groups. Thus, it can be inferred from this analysis that corals are the primary raw materials for white sand production, while algae do not play a role. This deduction is based on a line of evidence considering elements other than the major element in the sample.

(Raymund Sucgang is a senior researcher of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (PNRI-DOST).