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Review
. 2021 Sep;28(33):44587-44597.
doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-14700-0. Epub 2021 Jul 1.

Aluminum environmental pollution: the silent killer

Reema H Alasfar  1 , Rima J Isaifan  2
Affiliations
Review

Aluminum environmental pollution: the silent killer

Reema H Alasfar et al. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

The concern about aluminum (Al) toxicity has been proven in various cases. Some cases are associated with the fact that Al is a neurotoxic substance that has been found in high levels in the brain tissues of Alzheimer's disease (AD), epilepsy, and autism patients. Other cases are related to infants, especially premature infants and ones with renal failure, who are at the risk of developing the central nervous system (CNS) and bone toxicity. This risk is a result of infants' exposure to Al from milk formulas, intravenous-feeding solutions, and possibly from aluminum-containing vaccinations. Furthermore, most antiperspirants contain aluminum compounds that raise human exposure to toxic Al. This review paper is intended to discuss in detail the above concerns associated with aluminum, and hence urges the need for more studies exploring the effects of overexposure to Al and recommending mitigation actions.

Keywords: Aluminum; Alzheimer disease; Environmental pollution; Toxicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Acid rain releases aluminum into the environment (Crisponi et al. 2013)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
A schematic for a tissue section of the temporal lobe (Mold et al. 2019b)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Average aluminum content in formulas, breast milk, and cow’s milk (Fernandez-Lorenzo et al. 1999)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Aluminum content in vaccination (1996–2016) (Miller 2016b)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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