Don: Your suggestion of wearing gloves when doing bike work is a good one for many reasons, but, there isn't a molecule of evidence that aluminum, let alone polishing bike parts, can cause Alzheimer's disease. However, there is some evidence that riding your bike may prevent the disease. It's also a good idea to wear gloves when you ride too. Regards, George Hollenberg MD
On Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 9:45 PM, donald gillies <gillies@ece.ubc.ca> wrote:
> Due to the high concentration of aluminum plaques found in the brains
> of Alzheimer's patients, when restoring bikes, please try to minimize
> your exposure to aluminum that you inhale !!
>
> 1. Don't use aluminum foil to remove rust when there are other
> alternatives (such as brass or copper wool) available.
>
> 2. Nearly all high-grit sandpapers (400 grit and above) are
> aluminum oxide. Wear a face mask and/or use wet-sanding to
> polish with these sandpapers.
>
> 3. Wash hands frequently or wear gloves when polishing with
> polishes such as NEVR-Dull or Simichrome. I suspect that
> the polishes have a mild acid that eats aluminum oxide away
> from the surface of aluminum pieces, and the aluminum oxide
> migrates to your skin where it can be absorbed ...
>
> Stay Healthy so you can Ride Your Bike !!
>
> - Don Gillies
> San Diego, CA, USA
> _______________________________________________
>
-- George
George Hollenberg MD
CT, USA