diff --git a/chemicals/data_reader.py b/chemicals/data_reader.py
index 0feab07..c5986f2 100644
--- a/chemicals/data_reader.py
+++ b/chemicals/data_reader.py
@@ -32,12 +32,24 @@
            'list_available_methods_from_df']
 
 import os
-from math import isnan
+from math import isnan, nan
 try:
     path_join = os.path.join
 except: # pragma: no cover
     pass
-
+try:
+    import numpy as np
+    float64_dtype = np.dtype(np.float64)
+    float32_dtype = np.dtype(np.float32)
+    int64_dtype = np.dtype(np.int64)
+    int32_dtype = np.dtype(np.int32)
+    int16_dtype = np.dtype(np.int16)
+    int8_dtype = np.dtype(np.int8)
+    float_dtype_ids = set([id(float64_dtype), id(float32_dtype)])
+    int_dtype_ids = set([id(int64_dtype), id(int32_dtype), id(int16_dtype), id(int8_dtype)])
+    
+except:
+    pass
 # %% Loading data from local databanks
 
 pd = None
@@ -45,18 +57,55 @@
 df_sources = {}
 load_cmds = {}
 
+def make_df_sparse(df, non_sparse_columns=[]):
+    '''Take a dataframe, and convert any floating-point columns which are mostly
+    missing into sparse series. Return the resulting dataframe.
+    '''
+    for col, dtype in zip(df.columns, df.dtypes):
+        if col in non_sparse_columns:
+            continue
+        if id(dtype) in float_dtype_ids:
+            series_orig = df[col]
+            series_small = series_orig.astype(pd.SparseDtype("float", nan))
+            if series_small.memory_usage() < series_orig.memory_usage():
+                df[col] = series_small
+        elif dtype in int_dtype_ids:
+            pass
+        else:
+            continue
+    return df
+
+
 def register_df_source(folder, name, sep='\t', index_col=0, csv_kwargs={},
-                       postload=None):
-    load_cmds[name] = (folder, name, sep, index_col, csv_kwargs, postload)
+                       postload=None, sparsify=False):
+    load_cmds[name] = (folder, name, sep, index_col, csv_kwargs, postload, sparsify)
+
+'''The following flags will strip out the excess memory usage of redundant 
+chemical metadata information.
+'''
+try:
+    low_mem = bool(int(os.environ.get('CHEDL_LOW_MEMORY', '0')))
+except:
+    low_mem = False
+spurious_columns = set(['name', 'formula', 'MW', 'InChI', 'InChI_key', 'Chemical',
+                    'Data Type', 'Uncertainty', 'Fluid', 'Name', 'Names', 'Name ',
+                    'Formula', 'Formula '])
 
 def load_df(key):
     global pd
     if pd is None:
         import pandas as pd
-    folder, name, sep, index_col, csv_kwargs, postload = load_cmds[key]
+    folder, name, sep, index_col, csv_kwargs, postload, sparsify = load_cmds[key]
     path = path_join(folder, name)
     df = pd.read_csv(path, sep=sep, index_col=index_col, **csv_kwargs)
     if postload: postload(df)
+    if sparsify:
+        df = make_df_sparse(df)
+    if low_mem:
+        for col_name in df.columns.values.tolist():
+            if col_name in spurious_columns:
+                del df[col_name]
+        
     df_sources[key] = df
 
 def data_source(key):
diff --git a/chemicals/miscdata.py b/chemicals/miscdata.py
index 8c35c84..b5e4f96 100644
--- a/chemicals/miscdata.py
+++ b/chemicals/miscdata.py
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@
 register_df_source(folder, 'Physical Constants of Inorganic Compounds.csv')
 register_df_source(folder, 'Physical Constants of Organic Compounds.csv')
 register_df_source(folder, 'joback_predictions.tsv')
-register_df_source(folder, 'wikidata_properties.tsv')
-register_df_source(folder, 'webbook_constants.tsv')
-register_df_source(folder, 'common_chemistry_data.tsv')
+register_df_source(folder, 'wikidata_properties.tsv', sparsify=True)
+register_df_source(folder, 'webbook_constants.tsv', sparsify=True)
+register_df_source(folder, 'common_chemistry_data.tsv', sparsify=True)
 
 JOBACK = 'JOBACK'
 WIKIDATA = 'WIKIDATA'