Sure, silicone can easily cause an issue, along with dirt, oil, fuel and any number of other substances.
But, these things can also fail due to vibration, excess heat, voltage spikes, and on and on...
Add to this, that it also intergrates the intake temperature sensor which can also cause replacement even though the Air Mass sensor is still functioning fine.
Truth is, it's a consumable, just like Tires, Oil, Plugs, Belts, Hoses, OČ sensors and so forth. They'll never last forever.
They also degrade over time sending less accurate signals to the DME, while never triggering a CEL - it's values remain within DME tolerances, while not totally accurate.
Considering the high cost of fuel and such, personally, I'd swap mine out at 50k mi. regardless to ensure the car runs optimally and that I'm maximizing my Range (MPG) and getting the most for my high priced fuel $$.
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