[Aluminium adjuvant exposure through vaccines in France in 2018]. / Exposition à l'aluminium vaccinal en France en 2018.

OBJECTIVES: Aluminum-containing vaccine adjuvants stimulate an adequate immune response to vaccination. The safety and rapid elimination of these molecules, a guarantee of their safe use for several decades, have been challenged by a growing number of studies over the last 20 years. Evaluation of exposure to aluminum adjuvants of an individual is thus essential. The current review answers the following questions: what is the exposure of aluminum adjuvants of an individual vaccinated in France? What are the factors of variation? METHODS: To evaluate the immunization exposure to aluminum for a vaccinee in France, we used the 2018 vaccination schedule and the Social Security database for vaccines reimbursed that year. French mandatory and recommended vaccines for an individual who does not travel abroad and has no particular professional obligations have been taken into account. RESULTS: Our results show that an individual following the vaccination requirements and recommendations of 2018 receives between 2545 and 7735µg of Al3+ during his lifetime, and at least 50% before the age of 1year. Exposure varies with age, weight, sex, and choice of administered vaccines. CONCLUSION: Vaccines with higher doses of aluminum are mainly injected at the beginning of life. Women receive a proportionately larger dose than men. The most reimbursed vaccines are often those with the highest amount of aluminum salts.

Assessment of Dermal Absorption of Aluminum from a Representative Antiperspirant Formulation Using a 26 Al Microtracer Approach.

A clinical pharmacokinetic study was performed in 12 healthy women to evaluate systemic exposure to aluminum following topical application of a representative antiperspirant formulation under real-life use conditions. A simple roll-on formulation containing an extremely rare isotope of aluminum (26 Al) chlorohydrate (ACH) was prepared to commercial specifications. A 26 Al radio-microtracer was used to distinguish dosed aluminum from natural background, using accelerated mass spectroscopy. The 26 Al citrate was administered intravenously (i.v.) to estimate fraction absorbed (Fabs ) following topical delivery. In blood samples after i.v. administration, 26 Al was readily detected (mean area under the curve (AUC) = 1,273 ± 466 hours×fg/mL). Conversely, all blood samples following topical application were below the lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ; 0.12 fg/mL), except two samples (0.13 and 0.14 fg/mL); a maximal AUC was based on LLOQs. The aluminum was above the LLOQ (61 ag/mL) in 31% of urine samples. From the urinary excretion data, a conservative estimated range for dermal Fabs of 0.002-0.06% was calculated, with a mean estimate of 0.0094%.

Risk assessment of dietary exposure to aluminium in the Chinese population.

In order to address the issue of excessive intake of aluminium (Al) from Al-containing food additives in the Chinese diet, this study conducted a dietary exposure assessment of Al in the general population based on the national surveillance data of Al content in foods and national food consumption data. It was found that the mean dietary exposure of the whole Chinese population to Al from Al-containing food additives was 1.795 mg kg‒1 bw week‒1, not exceeding the PTWI, while high dietary exposures (e.g., 97.5th percentile) to Al were 7.660 and 2.103-2.903 mg kg‒1 bw week‒1 for children, respectively, both exceeding the PTWI. It was found that the dietary exposure to Al for 32.5% of the total Chinese population and 42.6% of children aged 4-6 years exceeded the PTWI. Wheat flour and wheat-based products are the main source of dietary A l exposure (85% of the total intake); and puffed foods are the major source of Al intake for children. These findings suggested that consumption of Al-containing food additives could be a health concern for consumers with high food consumption (97.5th percentile) and children under the age of 14 years.

Pulmonary Aluminosis Diagnosed with In-air Microparticle Induced X-ray Emission Analysis of Particles.

We herein present a case of pulmonary aluminosis diagnosed with in-air microparticle induced X-ray emission (in-air micro-PIXE) analysis. The diagnosis of pulmonary aluminosis was supported by the occupational exposure to aluminum, ground glass opacity and ill-defined centrilobular nodular opacities seen in high resolution CT, and respiratory bronchioles accompanied by pigmented dust by histological examination by in-air micro-PIXE analysis of the lung tissues. The possibility of developing this rare condition should not be underestimated in workers at high-risk jobs. This is an important report showing the usefulness of an in-air micro-PIXE analysis for the early diagnosis of aluminosis.

Risks, risk assessment and risk competence in toxicology.

Understanding the toxic effects of xenobiotics requires sound knowledge of physiology and biochemistry. The often described lack of understanding pharmacology/toxicology is therefore primarily caused by the general absence of the necessary fundamental knowledge. Since toxic effects depend on exposure (or dosage) assessing the risks arising from toxic substances also requires quantitative reasoning. Typically public discussions nearly always neglect quantitative aspects and laypersons tend to disregard dose-effect-relationships. One of the main reasons for such disregard is the fact that exposures often occur at extremely low concentrations that can only be perceived intellectually but not by the human senses. However, thresholds in the low exposure range are often scientifically disputed. At the same time, ignorance towards known dangers is wide-spread. Thus, enhancing the risk competence of laypersons will have to be initially restricted to increasing the awareness of existing problems.

Mineração e ecologia política: um estudo de caso em Itamarati de Minas / Mining and political ecology: a case study in the Foreign Ministry of Mines

A presente tese é composta de três artigos sobre os impactos ao ambiente e àsaúde coletiva da cadeia produtiva do alumínio no Brasil. O primeiro artigo versa sobreos impactos produzidos ao longo das etapas produtivas do alumínio primário, a partir daextração da bauxita, até a fabricação final. O texto realça e discute os processos deexternalidades ambientais, inerentes ao processo, que são responsáveis pela degradaçãoambiental e pela produção de danos à saúde coletiva, como os relacionados aosacidentes de trabalho ou aqueles associados às emissões de gases do efeito estufa. Osegundo artigo faz uma discussão sobre o modelo de inserção do Brasil no mercadomundial do alumínio a partir dos referenciais teóricos da economia espacial e daecologia política. A inserção do Brasil no mercado global de alumínio é apresentada soba lógica da subordinação ao grande capital; uma lógica em que os territórios se adequamcomo suportes produtivos de commodities, agrícolas ou metálicas. A produção eexportação de commodities reproduz uma Divisão Internacional do Trabalho marcadapela participação submissa dos territórios produtivos, que sofrem os efeitos colaterais damodernização, com impactos ao ambiente e à saúde da população. O terceiro ederradeiro artigo, é um estudo de caso sobre os impactos da mineração de bauxita nomunicípio de Itamarati de Minas, em Minas Gerais. No texto são apresentadas ascaracterísticas do processo de extração de bauxita e sua articulação aos impactosambientais e a diminuição da qualidade de vida das famílias que tradicionalmentepraticam uma pequena agricultura familiar. O artigo discute ainda, questões quecolocam em risco a sustentabilidade socioambiental da região, como a própria atividademineral que, além do desflorestamento, geram impactos como a redução da qualidadedos solos, erosão e assoreamento; e o avanço da monocultura do eucalipto que nosúltimos anos vêm substituindo a vegetação original de áreas mineradas. Por fim,conclui-se que a inserção do país no mercado global de alumínio tem sido construída apartir da geração de pesados impactos ao ambiente nos territórios e à saúde coletiva depopulações; no caso do município de Itamarati de Minas, torna-se patente a necessidadede se pensar um modelo de desenvolvimento alternativo para a agricultura familiar; ummodelo baseado em formas sustentáveis de produção, democrático e socialmente justo.

Health risk assessment of workers exposed to metals from an aluminium production plant.

OBJECTIVE: Foundry is an industry involved various kinds of metals and chemicals. Workers who work in foundry industry are at risk of exposure to these metals and chemicals. Objective of this study was to conduct quantitative health risk assessment for workers who exposed to metals from an aluminium production industry. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The U.S. National Academy of Sciences' four steps of health risk assessment were used to conduct quantitative health risk assessment in this study. RESULTS: This study showed that there were 6 types of metals involved in the aluminium foundry in this study. These metals could cause various health effects but not cancers. Workers were mostly exposed to these metals by inhalation. Calculated reference dose (RfD) for inhalation of aluminium used in this assessment was 0.000015 mg/kg/day. Calculated RID for inhalation of manganese used in this assessment was 0.000002 mg/kg/day. Calculated RfD for inhalation of copper used in this assessment was 0.000028 mg/kg/day. Calculated RID for inhalation of zinc used in this assessment was 0.000083 mg/ kg/day. Calculated RID for inhalation of magnesium used in this assessment was 0.949833 mg/kg/day. Calculated RID for inhalation of iron used in this assessment was 10.6219 mg/kg/day. Maximum daily doses (MDDs) for workers who exposed to metals measured in this foundry were 0, 0, 0.000463, 0.0000927, 0.000162 and 0 mg/kg/day for manganese, zinc, aluminium, iron, magnesium and copper, respectively. Finally, risk characterization for workers exposed to metals in this aluminium foundry showed that workers in this foundry had 31 times higher risk of developing diseases from aluminium than persons who were not exposed to aluminium. These workers had the same risk of developing diseases from other metals and chemicals as persons who were not exposed to those metals and chemicals. CONCLUSION: Workers who exposed to aluminium in this aluminium production plant had 31 times risk of developing non-carcinogenic effects from aluminium compared with normal persons. Therefore, appropriate preventive measures should be applied to protect workers.

[Comparative analysis of reproductive health indices in women living in proximity to an aluminum work area].

The paper presents data on multienvironmental pollution in the area exposed to emission from an aluminum works and on the reproductive function of women living in the areas where these enterprises are located. Reconstruction of an Urals aluminum plant (SUAL-UAZ) has improved the environment, reducing the incidence of pregnancy and labor abnormalities and improving the neonatal infants' health.

Longitudinal study on potential neurotoxic effects of aluminium: I. Assessment of exposure and neurobehavioural performance of Al welders in the train and truck construction industry over 4 years.

OBJECTIVES: Previous cross sectional studies on potential neurotoxic effects of long-term aluminium exposures by aluminium welders lack clear interpretable results for methodological reasons. The present longitudinal study examined on the one hand the reliability and representativity of Al-biomonitoring as indicator of individual long-term exposure and on the other hand the long-term changes of neurobehavioural performance in Al welders in relation to Al exposure and neurobehavioural performance changes of a non-exposed control group. METHODS: The longitudinal study compared repeatedly measured exposure data and neurobehavioural data of 20, initially 44, male Al welders in the train and truck construction industry with data of a control group of similar age on the basis of three investigations over a period of 4 years. The repeated measurements of exposure included total dust in air as well as Al in pre- and post-shift plasma and urine samples. Neurobehavioural methods comprised symptoms, verbal intelligence, logic thinking, psychomotor behaviour, memory, and attention. Computer-aided tests from the Motor Performance Series (MLS) and the European Neurobehavioural Evaluation System (EURO-NES) were used. The characteristics of the biomonitoring data and the relationship to neurobehavioural data were examined with methods of correlation and regression analysis. The courses of neurobehavioural changes were analysed with multivariate covariance-analytical methods (MANCOVA) considering the covariates age, indicators of 'a priori' intelligence differences (education or 'premorbid' intelligence), and alcohol consumption (carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in plasma, CDT). RESULTS: The mean total dust load during welding, near to the routinely worn ventilated helmets, was in the range of 5-8 mg/m(3). The biomonitoring data of the welders (pre-shift: 88-140 microg Al/g creatinine in urine; 13-16 microg Al/l plasma) showed a high long-term stability but also sensitivity to acute shift dependent exposure changes. The Al welders who had been working in this profession at an average of 15 years showed no significantly increased symptom levels compared with the control group. Explorative regression and covariance analyses revealed neither a correlation between biomonitoring and performance variables nor a significant difference between Al-exposed and controls in the performance courses during the 4 years period. Explorative modelling indicated that the structure of neurobehavioural outcomes could be determined by possible indicators of intellectual 'a priori' (premorbid) differences between subjects but not by their exposure information. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to studies in the literature this study is characterized by relatively high and non-confounded Al exposure of the welders, a repeated-measurement design, and multivariate analyses. However, the long-term stable interindividual differences of internal Al exposure were not related to interindividual differences in neurobehavioural performances. Additionally, the lack of processual changes of neurobehavioural performances during the observation phase and the insignificant group differences do not make it very probable that degenerative processes caused by Al had happened before study onset or stopped just at this time point.

Diet monitoring for assessment of human exposure to environmental pollutants.

Daily intake of lead, cadmium, aluminium, radiocaesium, DDT and metabolites, and lindane in the whole-day food rations collected in hospital canteens in Kraków, Lódz, Olsztyn and Poznan in winters of 1993-1994, 1995 and 1996 were determined. The diets contained almost 40 microg of cadmium, corresponding to 70% of PTWI, and compared to the levels recognised as safe (ADI or PTWI) small amounts of the other contaminants. The highest content of Pb, Cd, Al and lindane was determined in the diets collected in Kraków, that of radiocaesium in Lódz, and DDT level was the highest in Poznan. The whole-day food rations from Olsztyn, situated in a region called "green lungs of Poland", were not statistically less contaminated than the diets from the other towns. The Pb and radiocaesium levels decreased significantly with time.

Final report on the safety assessment of aluminum starch octenylsuccinate.

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate is the aluminum salt of the reaction product of octenylsuccinic anhydride with starch. It is used in cosmetics at concentrations as high as 30% as an anticaking agent and a nonaqueous viscosity increasing agent. No information was available on the presence of impurities in the cosmetic-grade ingredient. When used in foods, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate is identified as a modified food starch, and is subject to limitations on heavy metal residues. Oral studies using Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate or its related sodium salt produced no adverse systemic, reproductive, or developmental effects. Dermal injections produced no abnormal skin or systemic reactions in guinea pigs. Ocular toxicity was assessed in rabbits and using an in vitro test (chorioallantoic membrane vascular assay). In both cases no toxicity was seen. An acute inhalation toxicity study in rats was negative. Clinical tests indicated little irritation potential and no sensitization. Absent data on impurities in cosmetic-grade material, it was determined that such material should meet the same impurities requirements established for modified food starches. Based on these available data the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel concluded that Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate is safe as used in cosmetic formulations provided that established limitations imposed on heavy metal concentrations are not exceeded.

Modification of an ecotoxicological rating to bioassess small acid mine drainage-impacted watersheds exclusive of benthic macroinvertebrate analysis.

The modified ecotoxicological rating (METR) approach to synthesizing integrative bioassessment data into a single number ranging from 0 to 100 was found to differentiate between multiple levels of impacts from acid mine drainage (AMD). Our objective was to develop a more cost-effective and time-efficient bioassessment technique than previously used in other large scale ecotoxicological ratings (ETRs) by minimizing the number of parameters required to rank stations to only those most descriptive of the benthic macroinvertebrate community responses to AMD. Nineteen physical, chemical, toxicological, and ecological measurements were made at 38 stations in two adjacent watersheds. The most descriptive parameters were selected through multiple linear regression analysis, bivariate correlation analysis, and one-way analysis of variance. We found that habitat assessment, 30-d in situ Asian clam survival, mean conductivity, and mean total water column concentration of aluminum and manganese were the most descriptive parameters. The METR constructed from these parameters was equally effective at differentiating stations as were two previous published ETRs that incorporated up to 10 parameters, including benthic macroinvertebrate indices. When the METR was applied to a new watershed, the scores were significantly correlated with benthic macroinvertebrate indices for those stations.

[Assessment of carcinogenic effect of aluminosilicate ceramic fibers produced in Poland. Animal experiments]. / Ocena dzialania kancerogennego glinokrzemianowych wlókien ceramicznych produkowanych w Polsce (doswiadczenia na zwierzetach).

The effect of aluminosilicate ceramic fibres produced in Poland was assessed. The experiment was performed on two animal species: Wistar rats and BALB/C mice. The animals were administered intraperitoneally the studied fibres and krokidolit UICC--in doses of 25 and 5 mg and left for survival. All dead and sacrificed animals were examined histopathologically. Carcinogenic properties of ceramic aluminosilicate fibres were found to be rather weak. Only in 1 (2.5%) of 39 rats under study benign mesothelioma of tunica vagiualis testis was diagnosed. Peritoneal mesothelioma was found in none of 50 mice studied. For comparison the effect of krokidolit UICC was assessed. Krokidolit UICC is characterised by strong carcinogenic properties. It induced peritoneal mesothelioma in 43 mice (44.2%) and in 29 (80.5%) of 36 rats under study.

Risk factors, causality, and policy initiatives: the case of aluminum and mental impairment.

The question addressed is when can the evidence concerning a health issue be regarded as adequate to implement policy initiatives. The approach is illustrated by comparing evidence about the effects of cigarette smoking with evidence for the aluminum (Al) hypothesis (that Al contributes to mental impairment and especially to Alzheimer's Disease). The criteria for evaluating the evidence are based on the consistency and strength of the association between a putative risk factor and the relevant outcome variable, the likelihood that the relative risk represents a causal relationship, whether possible mechanisms are available, the number of persons affected, and the costs of modifying the risk factor.

Disability in dementia: assessment, prevention, and rehabilitation.

Dementia involves cognitive impairment sufficient to interfere with daily living. Most cases of dementia are due to Alzheimer's disease or cerebrovascular disease. Surveys show that dementia is one of the major causes of disability in the elderly, affecting personal care, everyday cognitive activities, and social behaviour. Several instruments relying on informant reports or behavioural observation have been developed to assess these various components of disability in dementia. Prevention of dementia would make a major contribution to the postponement of disability in old age. In principle, this could be achieved by modifying risk factors for Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia. There is presently scope for the prevention of vascular dementia, but risk factors for Alzheimer's disease are not sufficiently understood. The paper discusses how, where dementia has already developed, programmes involving cognitive training or environmental redesign can help to maintain skills and reduce behavioural disturbances.

Drug-induced disorders of bone metabolism. Incidence, management and avoidance.

Calcium homeostasis depends upon the interplay of intestinal calcium absorption, renal excretion and skeletal mobilisation of calcium, mediated through bone formation and resorption, which are closely coupled in the adult skeleton. Serum calcium is extremely important for maintenance of normal cellular functions and is regulated by the major calciotropic hormones, parathyroid hormone (PTH), 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D and calcitonin. Certain drugs can interfere with calcium metabolism by effects at different stages in calcium metabolism, and a knowledge of the mechanism of drug action is generally helpful in understanding the various resultant clinical skeletal syndromes. Corticosteroids, for example, have profound effects at multiple stages of calcium metabolism, resulting in decreased bone formation and enhanced bone resorption leading to accelerated osteoporosis. Drugs such as aluminium and anticonvulsants impair mineralisation, leading to osteomalacia. Other drugs, such as fluoride, are employed for their known effects on bone, but in excess dosage can be harmful by producing mineralisation defects. Management of these conditions will be discussed in this review.