June 1999 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Aluminum |
(Aluminio) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about aluminum. For more information,
you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. This information is important
because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure
to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration,
how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether
other chemicals are present.
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HIGHLIGHTS: Everyone is exposed
to low levels of aluminum from food, air, and water. Exposure
to high levels of aluminum may result in respiratory problems.
Aluminum has been found in at least 427 of the 1,467 National
Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). |
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What
is aluminum? |
Aluminum occurs naturally and makes up
about 8% of the surface of the earth. It is always found combined
with other elements such as oxygen, silicon, and fluorine.
Aluminum metal is silver-white and flexible.
It is often used in cooking utensils, containers, appliances,
and building materials. It is also used in paints and fireworks;
to produce glass, rubber, and ceramics; and in consumer products
such as antacids, astringents, buffered aspirin, food additives,
and antiperspirants.
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What
happens to aluminum when it enters the environment? |
- It binds to particles in the air.
- It can dissolve in lakes, streams, and rivers depending
on the quality of the water.
- Acid rain may dissolve aluminum from soil and rocks.
- It can be taken up into some plants from soil.
- It is not known to bioconcentrate up the food chain.
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How
might I be exposed to aluminum? |
- Eating small amounts of aluminum in food.
- Breathing higher levels of aluminum dust in workplace
air.
- Drinking water with high levels of aluminum near waste
sites, manufacturing plants, or areas naturally high in
aluminum.
- Eating substances containing high levels of aluminum (such
as antacids) especially when eating or drinking citrus products
at the same time.
- Very little enters your body from aluminum cooking utensils.
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How
can aluminum affect my health? |
Low-level exposure to aluminum from food,
air, water, or contact with skin is not thought to harm your
health. Aluminum, however, is not a necessary substance for
our bodies and too much may be harmful.
People who are exposed to high levels
of aluminum in air may have respiratory problems including
coughing and asthma from breathing dust.
Some studies show that people with Alzheimer's
disease have more aluminum than usual in their brains. We
do not know whether aluminum causes the disease or whether
the buildup of aluminum happens to people who already have
the disease. Infants and adults who received large doses of
aluminum as a treatment for another problem developed bone
diseases, which suggests that aluminum may cause skeletal
problems. Some sensitive people develop skin rashes from using
aluminum chlorohydrate deodorants.
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How
likely is aluminum to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services,
the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the EPA
have not classified aluminum for carcinogenicity. Aluminum
has not been shown to cause cancer in animals.
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How
does aluminum affect children? |
Children with kidney problems who were
given aluminum in their medical treatments developed bone
diseases. Other health effects of aluminum on children have
not been studied. It is not known whether aluminum affects
children differently than adults, or what the long-term effects
might be in adults exposed as children. Large amounts of aluminum
have been shown to be harmful to unborn and developing animals
because it can cause delays in skeletal and neurological development.
Aluminum has been shown to cause lower birthweights in some
animals.
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How
can families reduce the risk of exposure to aluminum? |
The most important way families can lower
exposure to aluminum is to know about the sources of aluminum
and lessen exposure to these sources. Since aluminum is so
common and widespread in the environment, families cannot
avoid exposure to aluminum. Exposure to the low levels of
aluminum that are naturally present in food and water and
the forms of aluminum present in dirt and aluminum cookware
is generally not harmful. The best way to reduce exposure
to aluminum is to avoid taking large quantities of soluble
forms of aluminum such as aluminum-containing antacids and
buffered aspirin. Make sure these products have child-proof
caps so children will not accidentally eat them. Some soy-based
formulas may contain high levels of aluminum, so parents may
want to consult with their physician when choosing an infant
formula.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to aluminum? |
There are tests to measure aluminum in
blood, urine, and feces. The amount in your urine can tell
you whether you have been exposed to higher than normal levels
of aluminum. Tests can also detect aluminum in your hair and
fingernails. Not all of these tests are routinely performed
at your doctor's office, but your doctor can take samples
and send them to a testing laboratory.
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Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? |
EPA requires that spills or accidental
releases of 5,000 pounds or more of aluminum sulfate be reported.
Special regulations are set for aluminum phosphide because
it is a pesticide.
EPA recommends that the concentration
of aluminum in drinking water not exceed 0.2 parts of aluminum
per million parts of water (0.2 ppm) because of aesthetic
effects, such as taste and odor problems.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has determined that aluminum cooking utensils, aluminum foil,
antiperspirants, antacids, and other aluminum products are
generally safe.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1999. Toxicological
Profile for aluminum. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
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Where can
I get more information? |
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational
and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize,
evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous
substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions
or concerns. For more information, contact:
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
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