Dangers of aluminium instruments?

Baen · Post by **Baen** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 8:17 pm

So many whistles are made of aluminium-is that a potential danger?There were studies in the past about possible connections with aluminium intake and alzheimers, but I don't think anything was proven about that.

Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

baen

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 8:30 pm

As long as you play the whistle and don't eat it, you should be ok.

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 8:33 pm

unless you're the type who gnaws your whistles, I really wouldn't worry about it. Heck, copper salts are supposed to be toxic, but my serpent and elfsong haven't killed me yet.

illuminatus99 · Post by **illuminatus99** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 2:19 am

Brass is supposed to be poisonous too

CHIFF FIPPLE · Post by **CHIFF FIPPLE** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 2:30 am

Baen wrote:So many whistles are made of aluminium-is that a potential danger?There were studies in the past about possible connections with aluminium intake and alzheimers, but I don't think anything was proven about that.

Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

baen

So do you realy think we all would

go ahead making alley whistles ifin they would cause people harm. No we leave that to the car makers.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 2:52 am

I've heard that delrin mouthpieces have been known to cause WhOA.

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 3:45 am

I remember I wanted to reply, but I don't remember why.

What was the question, again?

Hiro Ringo · Post by **Hiro Ringo** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 4:03 am

In Japan,back to 1970s,there was a experiment about whether copper salt was poisonous.And it was proven not to be poisonous.In 1980s,this result turned out to be the official view by the Welfare Ministry in Japan.But remember that copper salt can be poisonous if cooking oil or something like that is poisonous.

There are still many Japanese who still believe the copper salt is poisonous(as in US?) because this is relatively a recent issue.

And I don't remember it but there is a apparent fact with experiments which makes aluminium poisonous. But aluminium,with almost no tarnish,makes unique sound,very cheap....well I think this is also a matter of trade-off

I dare to choose brass material because I have these knowledge. From these knowledge,I personally think it's no problem unless the lip part of the mouth piece is aluminium.

Anyway,for example,once anything set off your allergy,anything can be poisonous against you. :roll:

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 7:21 am

Wooden whistles give you great big awful lip splinters. And I've heard that those big funny whistles made in Missouri can cause awful concussions if you get hit upside the head with one of them.

People spend way too much time worrying about things when they could be playing whistles instead.

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 7:27 am

You know you're alive when you're playing...

PhilO

Hiro Ringo · Post by **Hiro Ringo** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 7:44 am

I start to want to make water pipes all over the world made of aluminium.
To see what happens in 20 or 40 years.

Steven · Post by **Steven** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 7:48 am

Aluminum is a problem if it's made into a pot and you cook acidic foods in it a lot. The acid reacts with the aluminum and you end up injesting more of it than is good for you. Playing a whistle made of aluminum will not have this effect. Don't worry -- it's safe. Just don't use your whistle to cook tomato sauce every week.

Steven

chas · Post by **chas** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 8:14 am

Baen wrote:So many whistles are made of aluminium-is that a potential danger?There were studies in the past about possible connections with aluminium intake and alzheimers, but I don't think anything was proven about that.

It was found later that the aluminum in the brains of the Alzheimer's patients was actually in the stain that was used to mark the damaged tissue, so it was just an experimental artifact. This should have been as big a news story as the original study, but for some reason the scientists didn't hold a big press conference about it.

Aluminum forms a very hard, continuous, chemically inert oxide that should prevent any ingestion on the part of the whistle player.

Hiro Ringo · Post by **Hiro Ringo** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 8:37 am

Oh well.....for a long time I have taken for granted that aluminium is poisonous. Good to know this thread.

What about nickel? I have heard Yamaha will stop making nickel flute in the future,because they think it is the most apparent among metals that this material will activate allergy.

chas · Post by **chas** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 9:21 am

Hiro Ringo wrote:Oh well.....for a long time I have taken for granted that aluminium is poisonous. Good to know this thread.

What about nickel? I have heard Yamaha will stop making nickel flute in the future,because they think it is the most apparent among metals that this material will activate allergy.

I don't know that Al is not poisonous, just that one finding was a result of sloppy research.

As to the nickel issue: I had thought that I was allergic to nickel, because I can't wear sterling earrings. But I CAN wear surgical steel earrings. Surgical steel contains, I think, about the same amount of Ni as sterling does. Of course, sterling also has copper. I don't have any problem with copper, nickel silver, or any kinds of brasses and bronzes, though.

I don't think the constituents of alloys will necessarily cause reactions, because the alloys are SO different chemically and physically from the constituent elements.

Chiff and Fipple Forums

Dangers of aluminium instruments?

Dangers of aluminium instruments?

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