Editing Aluminium (section)

=== Effects ===

Aluminium, although rarely, can cause vitamin D-resistant [[osteomalacia]], [[erythropoietin]]-resistant [[microcytic anemia]], and central nervous system alterations. People with kidney insufficiency are especially at a risk.<ref name="Piero3" /> Chronic ingestion of hydrated aluminium silicates (for excess gastric acidity control) may result in aluminium binding to intestinal contents and increased elimination of other metals, such as [[iron]] or [[zinc]]; sufficiently high doses (>50 g/day) can cause anemia.<ref name="Piero3" />

[[File:Al transport across human cells.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|There are five major aluminium forms absorbed by human body: the free solvated trivalent cation (Al<sup>3+</sup><sub>(aq)</sub>); low-molecular-weight, neutral, soluble complexes (LMW-Al<sup>0</sup><sub>(aq)</sub>); high-molecular-weight, neutral, soluble complexes (HMW-Al<sup>0</sup><sub>(aq)</sub>); low-molecular-weight, charged, soluble complexes (LMW-Al(L)<sub>n</sub><sup>+/−</sup><sub>(aq)</sub>); nano and micro-particulates (Al(L)<sub>n(s)</sub>). They are transported across cell membranes or cell epi-/[[endothelia]] through five major routes: (1) [[paracellular]]; (2) [[transcellular]]; (3) [[active transport]]; (4) channels; (5) adsorptive or receptor-mediated [[endocytosis]].<ref name="health1" />]]

During the 1988 [[Camelford water pollution incident]], people in [[Camelford]] had their drinking water contaminated with [[aluminium sulfate]] for several weeks. A final report into the incident in 2013 concluded it was unlikely that this had caused long-term health problems.<ref>{{cite web
|title=Lowermoor Water Pollution incident "unlikely" to have caused long term health effects
|publisher=Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment|date=18 April 2013
|url=https://cot.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/cot/cotpnlwpirv2.pdf|access-date=21 December 2019|url-status=live
|archive-date=21 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221033817/https://cot.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/cot/cotpnlwpirv2.pdf}}</ref>

Aluminium has been suspected of being a possible cause of [[Alzheimer's disease]],<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Tomljenovic|first=Lucija|date=21 March 2011|title=Aluminum and Alzheimer's Disease: After a Century of Controversy, Is there a Plausible Link?|url=https://www.medra.org/servlet/aliasResolver?alias=iospress&doi=10.3233/JAD-2010-101494|journal=Journal of Alzheimer's Disease|volume=23|issue=4|pages=567–598|doi=10.3233/JAD-2010-101494|pmid=21157018|access-date=11 June 2021|archive-date=11 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611060821/https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad101494|url-status=live}}</ref> but research into this for over 40 years has found, {{as of|2018|lc=yes}}, no good evidence of causal effect.<ref>{{cite web
|title=Aluminum and dementia: Is there a link?|date=24 August 2018
|publisher=Alzheimer Society Canada
|url=https://alzheimer.ca/en/Home/About-dementia/Alzheimer-s-disease/Risk-factors/Aluminum|access-date=21 December 2019|url-status=live
|archive-date=21 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221040250/https://alzheimer.ca/en/Home/About-dementia/Alzheimer-s-disease/Risk-factors/Aluminum}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Santibáñez|first1=Miguel|last2=Bolumar|first2=Francisco|last3=García|first3=Ana M|date=2007|title=Occupational risk factors in Alzheimer's disease: a review assessing the quality of published epidemiological studies|journal=Occupational and Environmental Medicine|volume=64|issue=11|pages=723–732|doi=10.1136/oem.2006.028209|issn=1351-0711|pmc=2078415|pmid=17525096}}</ref>

Aluminium increases [[estrogen]]-related [[gene expression]] in human [[breast cancer]] cells cultured in the laboratory.<ref>{{cite journal
|title=Metalloestrogens: an emerging class of inorganic xenoestrogens with potential to add to the oestrogenic burden of the human breast|date=2006
|last1=Darbre|first1=P.D.
|journal=Journal of Applied Toxicology|volume=26|pages=191–197|pmid=16489580|issue=3|s2cid=26291680|doi=10.1002/jat.1135}}
</ref> In very high doses, aluminium is associated with altered function of the blood–brain barrier.<ref>{{cite journal
|author=Banks, W.A.|date=1989|title=Aluminum-induced neurotoxicity: alterations in membrane function at the blood–brain barrier|last2=Kastin|first2=A.J.
|journal=Neurosci Biobehav Rev|volume=13|issue=1|pages=47–53|doi=10.1016/S0149-7634(89)80051-X|pmid=2671833|s2cid=46507895}}
</ref> A small percentage of people<ref name="BinghamCohrssen2012">{{cite book
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1mk3lFVtBSQC&pg=PA244|title=Patty's Toxicology, 6 Volume Set|last1=Bingham|first1=Eula|last2=Cohrssen|first2=Barbara|year=2012|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-470-41081-3|page=244|access-date=23 July 2018|archive-date=20 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220172223/https://books.google.com/books?id=1mk3lFVtBSQC&pg=PA244|url-status=live}}</ref> have contact [[allergy|allergies]] to aluminium and experience itchy red rashes, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, poor memory, insomnia, depression, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, or other symptoms upon contact with products containing aluminium.<ref>{{Cite news
|url=https://allergy-symptoms.org/aluminum-allergy/|title=Aluminum Allergy Symptoms and Diagnosis|date=20 September 2016|work=Allergy-symptoms.org|access-date=23 July 2018
|language=en-US|archive-date=23 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723152243/https://allergy-symptoms.org/aluminum-allergy/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Exposure to powdered aluminium or aluminium welding fumes can cause [[pulmonary fibrosis]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=al-Masalkhi|first1=A.|last2=Walton|first2=S.P.|date=1994|title=Pulmonary fibrosis and occupational exposure to aluminum|journal=The Journal of the Kentucky Medical Association|volume=92|issue=2|pages=59–61|issn=0023-0294|pmid=8163901}}</ref> Fine aluminium powder can ignite or explode, posing another workplace hazard.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0022.html|title=CDC – NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards – Aluminum|website=www.cdc.gov|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530203735/http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0022.html|archive-date=30 May 2015|url-status=live|access-date=11 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0023.html|title=CDC – NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards – Aluminum (pyro powders and welding fumes, as Al)|website=www.cdc.gov|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530205127/http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0023.html|archive-date=30 May 2015|url-status=live|access-date=11 June 2015}}</ref>