Aluminium

Aluminium is the most abundant metallic element, and the third constituent of the earth’s crust. Aluminium occurs ubiquitously in the environment, in salts and oxides forms. Because of its physical and chemical properties, aluminium metal and compounds have a wide variety of uses: building, transportation, food packaging, beverage cans, cooking utensils, food additives, medicines, surgery materials, cosmetics, water purification. Aluminium determination remains uneasy, and although toxicity assessment partly depends on speciation, only total aluminium is usually analysed in environmental and biological samples. Whatever the way of exposure, absorption of aluminium is weak (under 1 per cent for gastrointestinal and dermal absorption and up to 3 per cent for inhalation). Human exposure is mainly dietary, less than 5 per cent of oral intake is due to drinking water. Antiperspirants can also be a non-negligible source of aluminium absorption. Most exposed populations remain patients on dialysis, long-term antacid consumers and workers in the aluminium industry. Toxic effects of aluminium chronic exposure are mainly neurological effects (encephalopathy, cognitive and motors disorders), bone disease (vitamin D resistant osteomalacia), and blood effects (microcytic anaemia). Aluminium also causes immune and allergic reactions. Other suspected effects are not confirmed, in particular Alzheimer’s disease.