Toxicity of aluminum

Scheuhammer AM. 1987. The chronic toxicity of aluminum, cadmium, mercury, and lead in birds a review. Environ Pollut 46 263-295. 

The toxicity of aluminum has been recognized most clearly by the development of bone disease caused by deposition of A1 in bones of patients on hemodialysis and in infants on intravenous therapy/ 6 Excessive A1 in the water used for dialysis may also cause brain damage. Dietary aluminum may be one cause of Alzheimer s disease/ h but this is controversial as is a possible role of aluminum in vaccines in causing inflammation in muscle.1) Solubilization of soil aluminum by acid rain has been blamed for the decline of forests in Europe and North America,) for the death of fish in acid waters,k and for very large reductions in yield for many crops/ An aluminum-resistant strain of buckwheat makes and secretes from its roots large amounts of oxalate which binds and detoxifies the Al3+ ions. ... 

If we omit the ions contributing little or no net gain (i.e., Fe2+, NH4+, and probably Mn2+) to the alkalinity generated in the hypolimnion during August 1990, the decrease in sulfate between the epilimnion and hypolimnion was responsible for about 50% of the increase in alkalinity the increase in Ca2+ was responsible for 30%. Increases in Mg2 and K+ contributed 7 and 6%, respectively. The increase in Al3+ contributed about 5%, but this cannot be considered to be mitigative because of the toxicity of aluminum to aquatic biota. The relative contributions of each ion to the hypolimnetic alkalinity are similar to the relative contributions to whole-basin alkalinity as determined by ion budgets. 

There are limited data on the pulmonary toxicity of aluminum in animals following chronic exposure. Increases in relative lung weights (21-274%) have been observed in rats and guinea pigs exposed to... 

The appropriateness of extrapolating health effects of aluminum in animals to humans cannot be conclusively determined due to limitations of the human database. Information on toxicity of aluminum in humans is not extensive because the preponderance of studies are in patients with reduced renal... 

The major population at risk for aluminum loading and toxicity consists of individuals with renal failure. In a study by Alfrey (1980), 82% of nondialyzed uremic patients and 100% of dialyzed uremic patients had an increased body burden of aluminum. The decreased renal function and loss of the ability to excrete aluminum, ingestion of aluminum compounds to lessen gastrointestinal absorption of phosphate, the aluminum present in the water used for dialysate, and the possible increase in gastrointestinal absorption of aluminum in uremic patients can result in elevated aluminum body burdens. The increased body burdens in uremic patients has been associated with dialysis encephalopathy (also referred to as dialysis dementia), skeletal toxicity (osteomalacia, bone pain, pathological fractures, and proximal myopathy), and hematopoietic toxicity (microcytic, hypochromic anemia). Pre-term infants may also be particularly sensitive to the toxicity of aluminum due to reduced renal capacity (Tsou et al. 1991)... 

Several animal studies have examined potential age-related differences in the distribution, neurotoxicity, skeletal toxicity, and interactions of aluminum. However, conflicting results have been found and the database is not adequate to assess whether these differences are due to the animal species tested, the aluminum compound used, or the route of exposure. Additionally, there are no studies on the influence of immature renal function on aluminum retention in the body and no studies on the long-term effects of aluminum exposure on skeletal maturation or neurotoxicity. Multiple species studies examining a wide range of effects in immature, mature, and older animals would be useful in assessing the children s susceptibility to the toxicity of aluminum. 

Intermediate-Duration Exposure. There is a limited amount of intermediate-duration human data on the toxicity of aluminum. Neurological and skeletal effects have been observed in uremic patients (Alfrey 1987 King et al. 1981 Mayor et al. 1985 Wills and Savory 1989) however, it is not likely that individuals with normal renal function would experience these effects. Intermediate-duration inhalation... 

Additional information on compound bioavailability is also needed to better evaluate the developmental toxicity of aluminum. Because the developmental effects of orally administered aluminum appear to be dependent on the bioavailability of the form in which it is administered and the presence of dietary components that promote aluminum uptake, additional information on compound-related differences in aluminum uptake and effectiveness during pregnancy and postnatal development would help in assessing... 

Alfrey AC, Hegg A, Craswell P. 1980. Metabolism and toxicity of aluminum in renal failure. Am J Clin Nutr 33 1509-1516. 

Cleveland L, Little EE, Hamilton SJ, et al. 1986. Interactive toxicity of aluminum and acidity to early life stages of brook trout. Trans Am Fish Soc 115 610-620. 

Colomina MT, Esparza JL, Corbella J et al. 1998. The effect of maternal restraint on developmental toxicity of aluminum in mice. Neurotoxicol Teratol 20 651-656. 

DomingoJL. 1995. Reproductive and developmental toxicity of aluminum A review. Neurotoxicol Teratol 17 515-521. 

Exley C, Birchall JD. 1992. The cellular toxicity of aluminum. J Theor Biol 159 83-98. 

His E, Beiras R, Seaman MN, et al. 1996. Sublethal and lethal toxicity of aluminum industry effluents to early developmental stages of the crassostrea gigas oyster. Arch Environ Contain Toxicol 30 335-339. 

Ondreicka R, Ginter E, Kortus J. 1966. Chronic toxicity of aluminum in rats and mice and its effects on phosphorus metabolism. Br J Ind Med 23 305-312. 

Winship KA. 1993. Toxicity of aluminum A historical review, Part 2. Adverse Drug React Toxicol Rev 12 177-211. 

YokelRA. 1987. Toxicity of aluminum exposure to the neonatal and immature rabbit. FundamAppl Toxicol 9 795-806. 

Havas, M. and Likens, G.E. (1985) Toxicity of aluminum and hydrogen ions to Daphnia catawba, Holopedium gibberum, Chaoborus punctipennis, and Chironomus anthrocinus from Mirror Lake, New Hampshire, Canadian Journal of Zoology 63 (5), 1114-1119. 

The toxicity of aluminum is not in doubt (53, 75), though its relationship with certain neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer s disease, has not been firmly established (109). The clearest evidence that aluminum is toxic comes from patients with renal failure who have... 

Orellanine (0.4 mM) inhibited photosynthesis in Lemna minor,without affecting the chloroplast electron transport chain [107], It inhibited growth of Escherichia coli and the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum [108]. Orellanine (and orelline 17) suppressed the toxicity of aluminum ions on the fungus Mycena seplenlrionalis, via formation of a 16(or 17J-A1+3 complex [109]. The phototransformation of 16 to 17 has been described [110]. 

M.S. Golub University of California Chronic oral toxicity of aluminum, manganese, and iron in mouse model US Department HHS/ Public Health Service... 

The explanation for the toxicity of aluminum towards fish is that in a lake of, say. 

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