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  • Prolonged exposure to low levels of aluminum leads to changes associated with brain aging and neurodegeneration.

Prolonged exposure to low levels of aluminum leads to changes associated with brain aging and neurodegeneration.

Toxicology (2013-11-06)
Stephen C Bondy
ABSTRACT

Aluminum is one of the most common metal elements in the earth's crust. It is not an essential element for life and has commonly been thought of as a rather inert and insoluble mineral. Therefore, it has often been regarded as not posing a significant health hazard. In consequence, aluminum-containing agents been used in many food processing steps and also in removal by flocculation of particulate organic matter from water. In recent years, acid rain has tended to mobilize aluminum-containing minerals into a more soluble form, ionic Al(3+), which has found their way into many reservoirs that constitute residential drinking water resources. As a result, the human body burden of aluminum has increased. Epidemiological studies suggest that aluminum may not be as innocuous as was previously thought and that aluminum may actively promote the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Epidemiological data is strengthened by experimental evidence of aluminum exposure leading to excess inflammatory activity within the brain. Such apparently irrelevant immune activity unprovoked by an exogenous infectious agent characterizes the aging brain and is even more pronounced in several neurodegenerative diseases. The causation of most of these age-related neurological disorders is not understood but since they are generally not genetic, one must assume that their development is underlain by unknown environmental factors. There is an increasing and coherent body of evidence that implicates aluminum as being one such significant factor. Evidence is outlined supporting the concept of aluminum's involvement in hastening brain aging. This acceleration would then inevitably lead to increased incidence of specific age-related neurological diseases.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Aluminum, ACS reagent, 99%, wire, wire diam. ~1.5 mm
Sigma-Aldrich
Aluminum, ReagentPlus®, beads, 5-15 mm, 99.9% trace metals basis
Aluminum, honeycomb, 600x600mm, thickness 20mm, cell size 3.2mm, cell wall 0.025mm, core density 0.072g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), 99.5%
Aluminum, honeycomb, 300x300mm, thickness 10mm, cell size 6.3mm, cell wall 0.064mm, core density 0.083g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), 99.5%
Aluminum, foam, 150x150mm, thickness 30mm, bulk density 0.2g/cm3, porosity 0.93, aluminum 6101 grade, 98.5%
Aluminum, honeycomb, 300x300mm, thickness 13.9mm, cell size 6.3mm, cell wall 0.064mm, core density 0.083g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), facing skin aluminum 0.55mm, 99.9%
Aluminum, honeycomb, 300x300mm, thickness 52.3mm, cell size 6.3mm, cell wall 0.064mm, core density 0.083g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), facing skin glass fiber 0.75mm, 99.9%
Aluminum, honeycomb, 300x300mm, thickness 5mm, cell size 19mm, cell wall 0.064mm, core density 0.029g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), 99.5%
Aluminum, honeycomb, 600x600mm, thickness 52.3mm, cell size 6.3mm, cell wall 0.064mm, core density 0.083g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), facing skin glass fiber 0.75mm, 99.9%
Aluminum, honeycomb, 300x300mm, thickness 26.5mm, cell size 6.3mm, cell wall 0.064mm, core density 0.083g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), facing skin carbon fiber / epoxy, 99.9%
Aluminum, foam, 300x400mm, thickness 6.35mm, bulk density 0.2g/cm3, porosity 0.93, aluminum 6101 grade, 98.5%
Aluminum, honeycomb, 300x300mm, thickness 20mm, cell size 4.8mm, cell wall 0.038mm, core density 0.070g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), 99.5%
Aluminum, honeycomb, 600x600mm, thickness 10mm, cell size 6.3mm, cell wall 0.064mm, core density 0.083g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), 99.5%
Aluminum, honeycomb, 600x600mm, thickness 5mm, cell size 3.2mm, cell wall 0.025mm, core density 0.072g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), 99.5%
Aluminum, honeycomb, 600x600mm, thickness 5mm, cell size 13mm, cell wall 0.1mm, core density 0.062g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), 99.5%
Aluminum, honeycomb, 300x300mm, thickness 26.5mm, cell size 6.3mm, cell wall 0.064mm, core density 0.083g/cm3, phenolic adhesive (resin), facing skin aluminum 0.55mm, 99.9%
Aluminum, wire reel, 100m, diameter 0.25mm, hard, 99.99+%
Aluminum, rod, 200mm, diameter 12.0mm, as drawn, 99.999%
Aluminum, wire reel, 100m, diameter 0.25mm, as drawn, 99.5%
Aluminum, wire reel, 0.5m, diameter 0.5mm, as drawn, 99.999%
Aluminum, sphere, 100pcs, diameter 3.0mm, aluminum alloy 2017 precision sphere, grade 200, 95.2%
Aluminum, wire reel, 1000m, diameter 0.7mm, as drawn, 99.5%
Aluminum, wire reel, 100m, diameter 0.025mm, as drawn, 99.0+%
Aluminum, wire reel, 0.5m, diameter 1.0mm, as drawn, 99.999%
Aluminum, wire reel, 1000m, diameter 0.30mm, as drawn, 99.5%
Aluminum, wire reel, 100m, diameter 0.5mm, as drawn, 99.95+%
Aluminum, wire reel, 100m, diameter 0.063mm, annealed, 99.99%
Aluminum, tube, 0.1m coil, as drawn, outside diameter 0.30mm, inside diameter 0.2mm, wall thickness 0.05mm, 99.5%
Aluminum, mesh, 150x150mm, nominal aperture 0.38mm, wire diameter 0.25mm, 40x40 wires/inch, open area 37%, plain weave mesh
Aluminum, microleaf disks, 10mm, thinness 1.0μm, specific density 269.9μg/cm2, removable support, 99.999%