When something is scratched, even slightly

[kenny1999]

When something is scratched, even slightly, from what I understand by common sense, they would lose its atoms from the surface even if it's trace amount and not possible to measure, is that right? In that case, where do they end up? Are they lost to the air, carried by wind and then combined with oxygen or other air particles or pollutants to form another chemical compound, is that right?

I believe that those compound is very very tiny and cannot definitely not be seen by naked eye of course, after all.

Could those compound fly to our body and get inside our body?

Is it imaginary? but I think it does make sense theoretically

 

[DrClaude]

When something is scratched, even slightly, from what I understand by common sense, they would lose its atoms from the surface even if it's trace amount and not possible to measure, is that right?

No, a scratch can simply be a rearrangement of the atoms at the surface.

In that case, where do they end up? Are they lost to the air, carried by wind and then combined with oxygen or other air particles or pollutants to form another chemical compound, is that right?

In cases where atoms are lost, I think that the most probable is that they either end up as dust or stick to what caused the scratch.

I believe that those compound is very very tiny and cannot definitely not be seen by naked eye of course, after all.

Could those compound fly to our body and get inside our body?

Is it imaginary? but I think it does make sense theoretically

Yes, you breathe in dust all the time. For many materials, this is not a problem. For some other (e.g., asbestos), it can be dangerous.

 

[pinball1970]

When something is scratched, even slightly, from what I understand by common sense, they would lose its atoms from the surface even if it's trace amount and not possible to measure, is that right? In that case, where do they end up? Are they lost to the air, carried by wind and then combined with oxygen or other air particles or pollutants to form another chemical compound, is that right?

I believe that those compound is very very tiny and cannot definitely not be seen by naked eye of course, after all.

Could those compound fly to our body and get inside our body?

Is it imaginary? but I think it does make sense theoretically

We have hairs, mucus and a coughing refex to deal with particulate contamination from the air.
These work well unless the system is overwhelmed or challenged over a long period of time.
Smoking , Working as a miner, sand blasting etc
This is why PPE in certain jobs is key.

Are you an engraver? Use a lathe?

 

[moldyjim]

Toolmaker here, (machinist) when grinding or sanding materials, the abrasive will cut small chips as it scratches the surface of the material. Size and shape of the chips will vary depending upon the material, coarseness of the abrasive etc.
Let's look at steel for example. the sparks you see flying off of the steel when grinding are small pieces of the steel being scraped off the surface and burning in the air from the frictional heat being generated and the high surface to volume ratio of the steel.

Using high pressure and sharp abrasives, can make steel chips large enough to easily see the resulting shape. Most will look tiny fish hooks and steel wool. Factor in the wear of the abrasive, oxidation of the alloying elements in the steel, etc. there is a fair amount of particles that could be nasty if they get in your lungs.

The good news, is the particles usually are large enough to be easily filtered out with a good respirator and proper ventilation. The bad news is, it's not the large particles that are the problem, most of those can be dealt with by the body's defenses. The smaller particles that get inhaled deep into the lungs are what causes silicosis, lung cancer etc if enough are inhaled for long enough.

It's also a matter of the shape of the particles, Asbestos is most problematic because it breaks up into microscopic needle shaped bits. They can go deep into the lungs and every time the lungs expand and contract they move and destroy cells. The repeated damage builds up and eventually creates health issues. But with the proper Personal Protective Equipment or PPE, even asbestos can be dealt with.

That said, we are constantly breathing dust, pollen, carbon from smoke etc. Almost everything around us is some form of an oxide, rust, silica, aluminum oxide and so on. Yet we survive for the most part without problems.
People live in super dusty environments all over the world, think of the desert people, surrounded by massive amounts of silicon dioxide sand blowing around constantly. Mostly unnoticed and unconcerning.

So small particles from a scratched surface probably aren't going to cause any problems unless in large quantities, with limited ventilation. Not counting clearly super dangerous materials such as Plutonium, mercury, arsenic etc. Those you really want to avoid, obviously.

 

[Rive]

I believe that those compound is very very tiny and cannot definitely not be seen by naked eye of course, after all.

Could those compound fly to our body and get inside our body?

Is it imaginary? but I think it does make sense theoretically

It's just how you get your daily microplastic (and micro-whatever) dose through your nose mostly from the wear of your own clothes (instead of the really negligible contribution of the infamous plastic bottles).