SU0000027 SSC RPT - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

vi-SDR-ToxFAQs-Aluminum P'"'� http://www.atsdr.cdc,gov/lfacts22.htm] antacids), aluminum chlorohydrate (used in deodorants), and aluminum sulfate (used to treat drinking water). It is used in paints and fireworks, and to produce glass, rubber, and ceramics. l 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. 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) • Very little enters your body from aluminum cooking utensils. 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. F People who are exposed to high levels of aluminum in air may have respiratory problems including i coughing and asthma from breathing dust. Some studies with high levels in mice and rabbits show that aluminum may harm young animals more because it can cause delays in skeletal and neurologic development. 1 Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's disease because those patients have high levels of aluminum 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. I 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. i Some sensitive people develop skin rashes from using aluminum chlorohydrate deodorants. There is no evidence that aluminum affects reproduction in people or animals. How likelyis aluminum to cause cancer? er. k The Department of Health and Human Services has not classified aluminum for carcinogenicity'. The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have F not classified aluminum for carcinogenicity. The available information has not shown that aluminum is a potential carcinogen. � r Is there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to aluminum? il4 1/26/00 9:1;AM I