OBJECTIVE AND METHODS This review examines epidemiological evidence relating to cancers in the primary aluminum industry where most of what is known relates to Söderberg operations or to mixed Söderberg/prebake operations. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Increased lung and bladder cancer risks have been reported in Söderberg workers from several countries, but not in all. After adjustment for smoking...

Fluoride (F), a powerful oxidizing agent, is used in a variety of industries in China. Health problems among industrial workers due to F poisoning are on the rise. Long-term F exposure, together with varieties of relevant factors, leads to high F burden [blood fluoride (BF), urinary fluoride (UF)], which can finally result in F bone injury (1). As F burden is the major cause of F bone injury, t...

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In an article entitled, “A Study of the Possible Role of Aluminum Compounds in Animal and Plant Physiology,” by McCollum, Rask, and Becker,’ these authors arrived at the conclusion that, “Aluminum is not a constituent of either plant or animal matter.” Since this conclusion is so contrary to what has been found by all previous investigators, we have performed the following experiments in order ...

The production of aluminum billetsdstarting from the conversion of bauxite to alumina, the processing of alumina to aluminum, and the final cast productdis studied using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. The aluminum supply chain consists of a refinery, a smelter, and a casting plant. In the LCA model, the environmental loads of four different case scenarios were investigated. The scenari...

Nano-aluminum is being used in increasing quantities as energetic material. This research addresses the transport of two types of nanosized aluminum particles (with aluminum oxide, or carboxylate ligand coating, Alex and L-Alex, respectively) through sand columns along with associated environmental impacts on soil systems. Surface phenomena and pH are variables controlling the transport of nano...

As engineers, a confliction readily appears in regards to cost efficiency against quality. Civil Engineer A of Peace Corps was assigned the task of the design and building of a desalination though electrodialysis plant in rural Uttar Pradesh, India. Desalination is the process of removing high salt contents from groundwater in order to render it drinkable. Of the total volume of water on Earth,...

MicroRNAs are small 21-nucleotide RNA molecules with regulatory roles in development and in response to stress. Expression of some plant miRNAs has been specifically associated with responses to abiotic stresses caused by cold, light, iron, and copper ions. In acid soils, aluminum solubility increases, thereby causing severe damage to plants. Although physiological aspects of aluminum toxi...