Hi,
I have been worrying about Aluminum and a Google search turned up
that it is a TOXIC metal. So why would we put it into our mouth?
Altheimers patients have high quanties of it in their systems.
We were told way back in the '80’s that we should’t cook with the stuff
even.
So why would whistle makers try to sell us aluminum mouthpieces?
Opinions?
Lolly
It’s not all that toxic. If you cook a lot of food in aluminum pots, a moderate amount of the metal may leach into the food. The amount of time that an aluminum mouthpiece is actually in your mouth is pretty short, and I wouldn’t really worry about it. If you have an aluminum whistle and really are worried about it, you could coat the mouthpiece with clear lacquer (nail polish) or some sort of tape.
I’m of the opinion that the aluminum/Alzheimers connection is highly over-touted.
I’d be more worried about lacquer or nail polish in my mouth than aluminum… seriously, the amount you’d ingest from an aluminum whistle mouthpiece even over a long period of time would be harmless.
Well, I put an aluminum whistle in my mouth, and it killed me.
I’m of the opinion that it is completely unfounded. Please check out this link and let’s hear no more about it.
http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?articleID=0000FCD2-AA88-1C71-9EB7809EC588F2D7&catID=3
puts aluminum whistle in mouth
gets hit by lightning
O.K., I’ll put some clear nail polish on it and forget about it.
My sweet hubby of 32 years was in a panic thinking he would
loose me to Altheimers!! 
Thanks, Lolly
Ogga Tay…Iga pupth thath uwhissthill inna ma mouf wiffa tha naiwl powish, ana now ma tounga falla offa.
Well, I have it on my nails all the time and chew it off when I’m nervous
and I’m sure all these hairy whorts on my nose have nothing to do with it,
VommitBunny!
Lolly
The original study that observed high concentrations of aluminum in Alzheimer’s sufferers was withdrawn. Turned out the aluminum was in the stain that they had used to look at the slides in the microscope. I’m not too sure what’s happened since, but I’m under the impression that they’re assuming the link is weak if not nonexistent.
AFAIK, aluminum is only classified as poisonous in fine powder form. In that form it’s explosive, too, BTW. I’ve used it in this form and neither died of aluminum poisoning nor blown myself up. Of course, huge amounts of it can kill you, but more people die from water poisoning every year (yes, there is such a thing, and many distance runners die of it every year) than die of aluminum poisoning. Vitamin A is another thing that poisons more people than aluminum.
In bulk form aluminum forms a very hard and somewhat impervious oxide layer. To add to what Paul said, if you cook with an aluminum pan at all, you’re getting more aluminum from that (esp if you cook anything with a pH that’s even a little basic or somewhat acidic) than you’ll ever get from the beak of a whistle.
I’ve heard you won’t get lead poisoning from contact with lead usually either. Breathing in the dust is the danger. I’m not 100% sure on that though. That reminds me, I saw an old Gen on Ebay the other day. It looked like pretty much the whole thing was brass. Didn’t they have lead fipples in them?
Breathing in the lead dust is one way to get lead poisoned; the most common, though, at least for kids (who are most at risk for lead poisoning) is by ingestion. Not just eating paint chips, though that does happen (supposedly lead paint tastes sweet) but more commonly by getting lead dust on their hands, from failing lead paint, and then putting their hands in their mouths. Lead-based paint, if it is intact, is NOT hazardous, it’s when it fails and makes the dust that it is.
I don’t know about the Gen’s mouthpieces, though I wouldn’t think that lead would make a good mouthpiece, as it’s so soft. But if the mouthpiece is made of brass, then technically there’s lead in it. But, again, it wouldn’t be dangerous as long as the brass, and therefore the lead, remained intact.
Beth (State of Wisconsin certified Lead Hazard Investigator)
Well, my opinion IS stupid and wrong…
Whort? Whort did you say?
just kidding, VB, just kidding…at my age I don’t need anything else…
lolly
Not This old Cestnut again 
Realy what a silly thing to worry about I’m sure you put a lot worse things in you mouth each day than an Aluminum Whistle,and biting your nail polish off is heaps worse than just biting your nails.
I work in the stuff every day, and nothing has happend to me, and do you realy think that Colin, Phil, Me, and all the other whistlesmiths That make whistles out of Aluminum would knowingly go out and poison the world 
O’h and my whistles don’t have an Aluminum fipple plug so only the top lip is in contactact with aluminum 
Right 
now what was I talking about?
Its too late whether its right or wrong. Too many whistle makers have used aluminum already. 
Leave aluminum alone and get rid of McDonald’s first. It seems to me that the number US citizens seriously in need of diet is quite rapidly increasing.I gradually feel difficulty on meeting moderately ‘thin’ American people,now thats a threat in a sense.
a small number of people are allergic to aluminium, including myself.
but it doesn’t bother me, i just stay away from it.
When my Dad was young Aluminium pans were all the rage and they used to eat a lot of stewed fruit, after a number of years the pans were eaten through and slung.
Were did all that Al go? Into my Dad, but he has got all his marbles at the age of 75.
I don’t think there is anything to worry about.
John S
One interesting aluminum side note…
We had a good family friend years ago who was a severe diabetic whose kidneys had shut down. He was on dialysis, and in those days some sort of aluminum salt was involved in the dialysis process. One day he went into a coma which lasted for quite a few months. At the time, nobody thought about the aluminum thing, and could not figure out why he was comatose. I believe this is about when the possible link to aluminum and brain function was just beginning to be realized. During the coma, naturally, they kept him on the same dialysis. When his docs became aware of the possible aluminum link, they switched him to another form of dialysis and one day he opened his eyes and said to his wife who was sitting at his bedside “Oh, did I doze off?”. True story, although I probably have some of the medical details wrong. I do remember clearly that aluminum was implicated as the culprit though.