The work of the oil filter is to catch these little metal shavings. Probably nothing unless that metal is radioactive or very poisonous. Now most of the internal engine bearings are your flat shells, which have a hard time generating shavings, unless there is major oil starvation. The wavelike motions of the cilia move the macrophages which contain dust to the throat, where they are spat out or swallowed. Then the macrophages, in a way which is not well understood, reach the part of the airways that is covered by cilia. Eventually, some metal shavings will slip through and enter your engine. I know a guy who swallowed a battery as a kid, and that weighed much more than 10 mg. Titanium metal shavings, in particular, are a significant fire hazard.

Normal wear gives you microscopic metal particles, actual visible shavings are a bad sign. Signs that your oil has metal shavings.

As […] Health Guide; What is a Swallowed Object?

Depends: You didn't describe what the metal was or the blood. They easily ignite in air, causing an explosion—the scale of which depends on the size and number of titanium shavings. Swallowed Object. Macrophages virtually swallow the particles. I was making minestrone soup and peeled the lids off of the two cans of beans. Young children and, sometimes, older children and adults may swallow toys, coins, safety pins, buttons, bones, wood, glass, magnets, batteries or other foreign objects. Always pay attention to your car. The beans were stuck in the can, so I got a knife and scraped the beans out of the can. Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. I drained the cans and poured the beans in the pot. … Perhaps the gear drive to the oil pump and distributor might make shavings. I didn't scrape it lightly, but I didn't scrape it hard either. July 5, 2012— -- Few things taste better at the end of a summer day than a juicy burger or steak hot off the grill. Last updated on Mar 23, 2020. But it is not perfect. It is why you should change both your oil and oil filters regularly. And it does an excellent job at that. Breathing metal dust for any duration of time can have a negative effect on the lungs, but it can be particularly dangerous if you do so over an extended period of time. The lungs have a natural defense system to protect against foreign particles settling within, but with constant exposure, this system can fail. Additionally, the burning of metal shavings left by can openers give off toxic gases that are associated with a host of health problems.