Does the debris in the kettle frm a burnt filament make u sick?

Are your specks silver in colour, or black?

Silver specks if present, may be chromium from the element. Cheap elements are often chrome plated to minimise the metal degradation, but can eventually come free.

Black specks are just minerals from the water that have coated the element and the inside of the kettle, mainly on the element. Although they are concentrated in the specks, they are unlikely to make you sick.

You can buy commercial mineral dissolvers to clean the kettle out, or sometimes adding white vinegar to the water, boiling it up then rinsing out thoroughly, will remove the mineral deposits.

I do this whenever I feel the buildup warrants it, in my home.

Are the deposits white or cream in colour and slightly opaque ? If so this is likely to be lime-scale, calcium normally in suspension in the water is deposited on the heating element and kettle surface, then flaking off into kettle over time. The problem being most severe in hard water areas. It not usually harmful but is often distasteful in the mouth.

The deposits are removed by using a proprietary kettle descaler, use as many times as required until the deposits are removed from the element and kettle surfaces.

If you think your recent illness is linked to the kettle, then the problem is more likely to be that the kettle is not actually boiling the water, the thermostat is switching off to early.

When you 'boil' the kettle do you see water vapour from the spout before it switches off ? If not replace your kettle immediately.