> I recently read a comment  on the chat list of the jewellery makers'
> website, ganoskin.com.,  stating that the abalone shell is a deadly
> one to cut or grind, due to the fact that the body absorbs the dust
> through the lungs or skin.

Shell dust is calcium carbonate and protein.  It's not absorbed
through the skin.  Any fine dust is bad to breathe, but there's
nothing worse about shell than average (as opposed to, e.g.,
asbestos).  There is a possibility that some treatment of the shell
(polishing, etc.) or something used in the cutting (e.g., the
lubricant for the saw blade) adds dangerous chemicals to the mix; such
problems could be avoided by getting natural shells and being careful
about saftey with the chemicals you use.
If the new technique generates very high heat as it cuts, there is the
chance that powder could be changed from calcium carbonate to calcium
oxide.  This is a strong base that can irritate the skin and would not
be good for the lungs.  However, unless you are directly inhaling the
dust as the shells are cut (as in a large factory with seriously
deficient safety standards), I would not expect there to be enough to
cause a problem.  Perhaps more likely is the possibility that the
factory in question had an outbreak of some serious respitory
disease.

My graduate advisor has been cutting lots of shells for a few
decades.  The only health problem he had was cirrhosis due to the
acetone he used in processing the samples.  He's been careful with the
acetone since then and hasn't had a problem.

>  The body then interprets this substance as a sugar
> and sends it to all the organs.

Not likely.  The body can recognize proteins, calcium ions, and
carbonate ions just fine.

> There followed an anecdote about a group of
> people dying just a few months after beginning a new efficient
> process of cutting abalone shell.   Pustules in the lungs, death due
> to pneumonia.

Large quantities of fine particles (dust) in the lungs is not good for
you, though I suspect you would need closer to a few decades to have
significant problems with shell dust.

> It was also stated that the dust can be absorbed
> when suspended in a solution.

If you drink it.

> I'm going to have to cut some of these shells in my work, and I must
> find a safe way to do it.

To avoid inhaling lots of dust, assuming that your cutting methods
generate lots of dust, you could get a basic air filter mask from a
hardware store.

For more information, you might look into safety information for
construction work using marble or limestone (also calcium carbonate).

--
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections Building
Department of Biological Sciences
Biodiversity and Systematics
University of Alabama, Box 870345
Tuscaloosa AL 35487-0345  USA

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------