How bad is airborne aluminum for your health?

[TAIWA NUMBA WAAN]

I'm not talking about getting hit with big blocks pf 6061 that get kicked out of the vise, or about long term skin contact or ingestion of aluminum compounds.

I'm talking about the wispy little snowflake lookin aluminum flecks that linger and float around the machine enclosure after facemilling and rain down like it's the inside of a snow globe I just shook. I'm afraid I'm breathing them in but I can't tell if I am or not. Is this something my internal nose hairs would protect against, or is this the machinist equivalent of asbestos? Does metallic aluminum with a high surface area to volume ratio get dissolved inside a human body over time?

 

[Milland]

Without question it's better to avoid breathing any floating debris, Al or other. Some woods are quite bad for lungs, but any particles can irritate (or worse) lung tissue. That includes coolant and suspended oils.

When in doubt, HEPA filter and a good suction pathway. Save your lungs!

 

[boslab]

I worked in an Ali works ( alusuisse) the safety peoples came and explained the Ali was harmless but there are Ali compounds that definately are bad ( like chrome eg)
They have bioavailability built in and bugger your brain, one of them is used in water purification for a floculant or clearing thing, very bad, dust of any description is bad, lungs are sensitive, protect them,
Mark

 

[mhajicek]

I'm not talking about getting hit with big blocks pf 6061 that get kicked out of the vise

It's a good thing you specified, or you would have gotten a bunch of smartass comments, in addition to this one.

 

[Rickyb]

Any particulate inhaled is not good for your health. This statement is hard to argue.p against. Once you open the enclosure you are breathing it in. Wear a mask at that time.
I believe aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earths crust yet no plant organism uses it. That should tell you something.

 

[Yan Wo]

And some people -- not saying I am or am not one of them -- claim we are constantly, and intentionally, being exposed to microscopic particles of aluminum in the atmosphere, and that those particles are very harmful.

 

[SVFeingold]

Pretty much no solid particle you might inhale is good for you. Many are neutral. Some are actively bad.

Any particulate you can see with your eyes as a flake isn't as much of a respiratory hazard, namely because they settle out of the air very quickly, it's obvious when/if you breathe them in, and if you do breathe them in you're probably just going to cough until they come back out.

However it's usually a safe bet that if you're generating chips and flakes you're also generating much finer particles. Aluminum is hardly the worst of it, as aluminum alloys contain other elements like silicon, which will turn into silicon dioxide (silica) when "liberated" from the aluminum during machining. Which can cause silicosis after sufficient chronic exposure. That particular ailment (for which no cure exists) can take years or decades to manifest, but it's very real.

For now-and-then hazards get a good respirator (the kind with cartridge filters are best). If you have to wear it for hours per day consider a supplied-air respirator with a little hip-mounted pump. Much more expensive but much more comfortable. And better if you have facial hair that would prevent a traditional mask from sealing properly.

If your machines are properly enclosed and ventilated, there should be very minimal risk from the machining itself.

 

[alexsmith12]

Inhaling any kind of particle is bad for your health. It is challenging to refute this claim. against, in. You start breathing it in as soon as you open the container. Put on a mask during that time.
Although I think aluminium is the most common element in the earth's crust, no plant organisms are known to use it. That ought to indicate something.

 

[Bill D]

I believe people with Alzheimer's have higher concentrations of aluminum in the brain. Cause or effect they do not know.
Bill D

 

[technocrat]

Size is really the important measurement. Regardless of the toxicity, prarticles less than 2.5 microns (0.001") can get deep into your lungs and cause continuous irritation leading to serious health issues. Because the cut aluminium surface oxidises very quickly, there is little danger from reactivity or toxicity. The Alzheimers / aluminium connection has not shown to be scientifically strong as further research has progressed.

 

[tdmidget]

I believe people with Alzheimer's have higher concentrations of aluminum in the brain. Cause or effect they do not know.
Bill D

Try to keep up. That was debunked at least 20 years ago.

 

[Milland]

Try to keep up. That was debunked at least 20 years ago.

Tell that to my 2001 Haas! It's been cutting Al for over twenty years, and has completely lost it's mind!!