Mia Botkin, MPH student

Walden University

PUBH-6165-5

Instructor: Dr. Raymond W. Thron

Environmental Health

Winter, 2011

Toxicity of Aluminum Toxicity of Aluminum

• To address the toxicity of aluminum

• To address aluminum exposure level in our environment

• To address aluminum affects on health

• To educate and address matters of the regulation of aluminum safety

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Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

• Most commonly exists and found in the earth’s crust.

• A silvery white metal

• Found in beverage cans, pans, airplanes, foils, buffered aspirin, and cosmetics (Agency for

Toxic Substances & Disease Registry [ATSDR], 2010).

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What is Aluminum?What is Aluminum?

ATSDR. (2010). Toxic substances portal – Aluminum. Retrieved on January 16, 2011 from http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=190&tid=34

http://w

ww.numkitch

en.com/

http://ningbogas.en.made-in-china.com/

• Exist in combination with other chemicals (For example, oxygen, fluorine, and silicon)

• Exposure – food, air, water, and soil

• Cannot be broken down in the environment

• Small fragments bind to other particles

• The average U.S. adult eats average 8 mg/day

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What is Aluminum?What is Aluminum?

ATSDR. (2010). Toxic substances portal – Aluminum. Retrieved on January 16, 2011 from http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=190&tid=34

• Fluffy aluminum at mine areas drains into streams or rivers, and becomes solid matter, which poisons fish, animals, and plants (Alder,

2003).

• The levels of aluminum in tea leaves are 10 -15 times greater than levels in the drinking water (ATSDR, 2008).

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Our Environment Responses to Our Environment Responses to Aluminum Aluminum

Adler, T. (2003). Aluminum floc formation. Environmental Health Prospectives, 111(3), a147. doi:10.1289/ehp.111-a147a.

ATSDR. (2008). Toxicological profile for aluminum. Retrieved on January 18, 2011 from www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/.../HalacoEngineeringPHAFinal01-21-2010.pdf

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EPA National Priorities List Sites with EPA National Priorities List Sites with Aluminum ContaminationAluminum Contamination

CDC. (2010). Toxic substances portal-Aluminum. Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from http://www.atsdr.cdcgov/ToxProfiles/TP.asp?id=191&tid=34

Excessive exposure causes health problems:

• Respiratory system – cough, shortness of breath

• Neurological system – Alzheimer’s disease

• Skeletal system -

• Delays development of bone and nerve structure in the

unborn

• Generates kidney problem in children – further develops

bone disease

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Our Body’s Responses to Aluminum Our Body’s Responses to Aluminum

ATSDR. (2010). Toxic substances portal– Aluminum. 3.Health effects. Retrieved on January 16, 2011 from http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=190&tid=34

• May added in:– Flour– Baking soda– Coloring agents– Anticaking agents

• Found in: – Breast milk from 0.0092 – 0.049 mg/L– Soy-based infant formula from 0.46 – 0.93 mg/L

8ATSDR. (2008). Toxicological profile for aluminum. Retrieved on February 6, 2011 from www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/.../HalacoEngineeringPHAFinal01-21-2010.pdf

http://h

bbase.co

m/wp-co

ntent/uploads/3

05.jpg

http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-denver/dog-food-101-what-are-coloring-agents-aka-artificial-colors-color-additives

http://www.livestrong.com/article/116353-

dangers-soy-infant-formula/

Our Body’s Responses to Aluminum Our Body’s Responses to Aluminum

9CDC. (2008a). Asbestosis United States: Asbestosis. Retrieved on January 17, 2011 from www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/96-134/pdfs/96-134c.pdf

10CDC. (2008b). Data from the bureau of labor statistics. Retrieved on January 18, 2011 from www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/2001-120.pdf

The California Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996 (Adler, 2003)

The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Federal Register, 2003)

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RegulationsRegulations

Adler, T. (2003). Aluminum floc formation. Environmental Health Prospectives, 111(3), a147. doi:10.1289/ehp.111-a147.

Federal Register. (2003). Hazardous materials regulations: Aluminum cylinder manufactured of aluminum alloy 6351-T6 used in SCUBA, SCBA, and oxygen service-revised requalification and use criteria. Retrieved on January 18, 2011 from http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2003/09/10/03-22808/hazardous-materials-regulations-aluminum-cylinders-manufactured-of-aluminum-alloy-6351-t6-used-in

Recommendations by the Occupational Health and Safely Administration (OSHA):

• Worker’s permissible dust in air exposure limit - 15mg/m3 in a total dust

• Accumulative exposure in the air over a 40 hours of work per week – 5 mg/m3 (OSHA, n. d.).

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Contaminant Levels of Aluminum Contaminant Levels of Aluminum

OSHA. (n.d.). Occupational safety and health guideline for aluminum. Retrieved on January 17, 2011 from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/aluminum/recognition.html

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation:– In bottled water – 0.2 mg/L for aluminum

(Department of Health and Human Service [DHHS],1995)

• Recommendations by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):• In drinking water: 0.05 - 0.2 mg/L (EPA, 2011)

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Contaminant Levels of Aluminum Contaminant Levels of Aluminum

DHHS. (1995). Beverages; Bottled water; proposed rules. Federal Register (Docket No. QSN-9203). 60 (218), 57131- 57133.

EPA. (2011).Drinking water contaminants: National primary drinking water regulations. Retrieved on January 17, 2011 from http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm

• Aluminum is most abundant in the earth surface and ground.

• Aluminum can be found anywhere in water, food, and soil.

• Aluminum creates malfunctions of the human body.

• Federal government enacts Contaminant levels for aluminum.

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ConclusionsConclusions

Adler, T. (2003). Aluminum floc formation. Environmental Health Prospectives, 111(3), a147. doi:10.1289/ehp.111-a147a.

ATSDR. (2010). Toxic substances portal – Aluminum. Retrieved on January 16, 2011 from http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=190&tid=34

ATSDR. (2008). Toxicological profile for aluminum. Retrieved on January 18, 2011 from www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/.../HalacoEngineeringPHAFinal01-21-2010.pdf

CDC. (2008a). Asbestosis United States: Asbestosis. Retrieved on January 17, 2011 from www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/96-134/pdfs/96-134c.pdf

CDC. (2008b). Data from the bureau of labor statistics. Retrieved on January 18, 2011 from www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/2001-120.pdf.

CDC. (2010). Toxic substances portal-Aluminum. Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from http://www.atsdr.cdcgov/ToxProfiles/TP.asp?id=191&tid=34

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ReferencesReferences

DHHS. (1995). Federal and Administration - Beverages; Bottled water; proposed rules. Federal Register (Docket No. QSN-9203). 60 (218), 57131- 57133.

EPA. (2011). Drinking water contaminants: National primary drinking water regulations. Retrieved on January 17, 2011 from http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm.

Federal Register. (2003). Hazardous materials regulations: Aluminum cylinder manufactured of aluminum alloy 6351-T6 used in SCUBA, SCBA, and oxygen service-revised requalification and use criteria. Retrieved on January 18, 2011 from http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2003/09/10/03-22808/hazardous-materials-regulations-aluminum-cylinders-manufactured-of-aluminum-alloy-6351-t6-used-in.

OSHA. (n.d). Occupational safety and health guideline for aluminum. Retrieved on January 17, 2011 from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/aluminum/recognition.html.

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References (cont…)References (cont…)

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. (2010). Toxic substances portal-Aluminum. Retrieved on February 6, 2011 from http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=190&tid=34

OSHA. (n.d). Occupational safety and health guideline for aluminum. Retrieved on January 17, 2011 from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/aluminum/recognition.html.

Yellamma, K., Saraswathamma, S., & Nirmala Kumari, B. (2011). Cholinergic System Under Aluminum Toxicity in Rat Brain. International Journal of Toxicology, 17(2), 106-112. Retrieved on January 16, 2011 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2997452/?tool=pubmed

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Further Reading SourcesFurther Reading Sources