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Comment by kergonath | Hacker News Reader

Silica can cause cancer, in the form of asbestos fibres or silica dust. Yet, it’s safe to drink from a glass, have windows at home, and walk on sand. A lot of factors matter besides chemical composition.

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Are you suggesting that aspartame in food has a different physical form that prevents it from entering the body?

That's not the only option there. It also could be the amount of exposure.

It’s not only if it enters the body but also how, for example inhaling aspartame can be very different to ingesting it.

For example. I cannot provide any insight because I don’t with in that field, but it would not be necessarily surprising that e.g. inhaled powders could have different effects than ingested compounds diluted in something else. Quantity would matter a lot as well.

Its OK to drink kool aide but not snort it.

It’s the dose that makes the poison maybe?

Sand is not a different physical form than that which causes cancer. (See: toxic silicosis) Often it's dosage that leads to concern. A typical walk on the beach will not result in cancer from sand exposure.

> Sand is not a different physical form than that which causes cancer.

This is incorrect. Sand is larger, rounded, particles. Toxic silicosis is caused by small (like 10um) particles. The physical form is what makes it possible to inhale one and walk on the other.

The chemical form is identical.

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