dessication

Desiccation, occasionally spelled dessication, is the removal or loss of water from a substance, material, or organism. The term comes from the Latin desiccare, meaning to dry up. Desiccation can occur naturally through environmental drying or be induced by engineered processes designed to remove moisture.

Natural desiccation occurs in deserts and during droughts, or when materials are exposed to air with low humidity. In soils, desiccation reduces water availability and can affect vegetation, microbial activity, and soil structure. Biological desiccation can lead to dormancy or death depending on the severity and duration of water loss.

Industrial desiccation includes drying techniques and the use of desiccants. Drying methods such as air drying, oven drying, or freeze-drying remove moisture through evaporation or sublimation. Freeze-drying (lyophilization) removes water by sublimation from frozen material under low pressure. Desiccants like silica gel, activated carbon, or calcium chloride bind water from the surrounding air, lowering humidity and protecting products from moisture damage.

In biology, desiccation refers to extreme drying that some organisms endure, a state known as cryptobiosis in certain species. In food technology and archaeology, desiccation helps preserve materials by inhibiting microbial growth and chemical reactions that require water.