The causes of declines in bees and other pollinators remains an on-going debate. While recent attention has focussed upon pesticides, other environmental pollutants have largely been ignored. Aluminium is the most significant environmental contaminant of recent times and we speculated that it could be a factor in pollinator decline. Herein we have measured the content of aluminium in bumblebee ...

BACKGROUND Aluminium-containing phosphate binders have long been used for treatment of hyperphosphatemia in dialysis patients. Their safety became controversial in the early 1980's after reports of aluminium related neurological and bone disease began to appear. Available historical evidence however, suggests that neurological toxicity may have primarily been caused by excessive exposure to alu...

The present experiment was carried out to investigate the effectivness of -lipoic acid in allevating the toxicity of aluminium phosphide on biochemical parameters, free radicals and enzyme activities in plasma, liver and kidney of male rats. Animals were orally treated with aluminium phosphide, -lipoic acid and their combination for 30 consecutive days. Treatment with aluminium phosphide led to...

Work-related asthma has been documented in workers employed in the primary aluminium industry and in the production of aluminium salts. The role of aluminium in the development of occupational asthma has, however, never been convincingly substantiated. We investigated a subject who experienced asthmatic reactions related to manual metal arc welding on aluminium. Challenge exposure to aluminium ...

Chronic aluminium exposure and toxicity related to aluminium absorption continue to be a problem for many patients with renal failure [1]. The two most prevalent sources of aluminium are water used to prepare dialysate and aluminium-containing phosphate binders. However, calcium-based binders, Sevelamer or others, have replaced aluminium phosphate binders and reverse osmosis has been used for w...

BACKGROUND Progressive multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune condition of unknown aetiology and few therapeutic options. Human exposure to aluminium has been linked with multiple sclerosis and affected individuals are known to excrete unusually high amounts of aluminium in their urine. Silicon-rich mineral waters facilitate the removal of aluminium from the body in urine and herein we have...

For many years aluminium was not considered harmful to human health because of its relatively low bioavailability. In 1965, however, animal experiments suggested a possible connection between aluminium and Alzheimer’s disease. Oral intake of foodstuffs would appear to be the most important source of aluminium. Consequently, the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives reduced the provis...