• Alumen

• 13th element
• Silvery-white, soft, nonmagnetic,
ductile metal
• Most widespread metal on Earth
(>8% of Earth’s core mass)
• 3rd most common chemical element,
after oxygen and silica
• Feldspars
• Bauxites
• Aluminum sulphates: water treatment, medicine (Potash
alum), leather tanning, paper manufacture
• Electrical transmission
• Packaging
• Construction, automobile structures, utensils, mobile
phones
• Coating in telescope mirrors
• Aluminum hydroxychlorides: purifying water, paper
industry, antiperspirants
• Aluminum acetate: astringent
• Aluminum phosphate: manufacture of glass, ceramic, paper
products
• Aluminum hydroxides: antacid, water purification, glass and
ceramic manufacture
• Aqueous aluminum ions: treatment against fish parasites
(Gyrodactylus solaris)
• Aluminum salts: Adjuvant in vaccines
• Total body burden: 30-50 mg
• A: oral (0.01-5%), inhalation (1.5-2%)
• Chemical form
• Particle size
• Presence of chelators
• D: binds to various ligands; bone (5-10 mg/kg), lung tissues
• E: urine, feces, bile
• Increase elimination of other metals
• High doses (>50 g/day)  anemia
• Nervous system: blocks action potential of nerve cells;
inhibits enzymes in brain and uptake of important chemicals
• Behavioral: memory loss, confusion, loss of coordination
• Digestive: reduces intestinal activity
• Skin: Suppress skin infections
• Acute:
• Flatulence
• Colic
• Headaches
• Dryness of skin and mucous membrane
• Bone pain
• Chronic:
• Confusion
• Muscle weakness
• Complications: lung and nervous system problems, bone diseases,
anaemia, Parkinson’s disease, kidney dysfunction
• Bone biopsy
• Blood test
• Urine test
• Stool test
• Chelating agents
• Deferoxamine mesylate
• Avoid products containing aluminum
• Consume foods that detoxify heavy metals