Table 1.
Examples of recommendations regarding aluminium exposure limits.
| Source of Exposure to Al |
Exposure to Al Limits | Comments | Organization, References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational exposure limits | Al alkyls, NOS—PEL of 2 mg/m3; Al soluble salts—PEL of 2 mg/m3; Al metal and oxide (total dust)—PEL of 10 mg/m3; Al metal and oxide (respiratory fraction)—PEL of 5 mg/m3; Al pyro powders—PEL of 5 mg/m3; Al welding fumes—PEL of 5 mg/m3; Al stearate—PEL of 10 mg/m3; Al distearate—PEL of 10 mg/m3; Al tristearate—PEL of 10 mg/m3. |
8-h TWA was used in this document. | Cal/OSHA [14,15] |
| Al (total dust)—PEL of 15 mg/m3
Al (respirable fraction)—PEL of 5 mg/m3 |
- | OSHA [14] | |
| Al (total dust)—REL of 10 mg/m3; Al (respiratory fraction)—REL of 5 mg/m3; |
Up-to-10-h TWA was used in this document. | NIOSH [14,16] | |
| Oral exposure | TWI of 1 mg/kg bw/week | EFSA [17] | |
| NOAEL of 30 mg/kg bw/day; LOAEL of 50–75 mg/kg bw/day; PTWI of 2 mg/kg bw. |
Major contributors to the total oral Al exposure were cereals and cereal-based products, accounting for 20–90% of total dietary Al exposure. | WHO [18] | |
| Drinking water | For small water treatment facilities—0.2 mg/L For large water treatment facilities—0.1 mg/L |
- | WHO [19] |
| 0.05 to 0.2 mg/L | Al level belongs to secondary standards, regarding substances that could cause “cosmetic effects (such as skin or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color)”. | EPA [20] | |
| Freshwater (regarding aquatic life) | CMC of 1–4800 μg/L CCC of 0.63–3200 μg/L |
Wide range of Al CMC and CCC is caused by significant dependence of Al–bioavailability and certain factors (mostly important ones are total hardness, pH, and dissolved organic carbon). | EPA [21] |
| Toys | “Dry, brittle, powder-like or pliable toy material”—2250 mg/kg; “Liquid or sticky toy material”—560 mg/kg; “Scraped-off toy material”—28130 mg/kg. |
SCHEER suggests that additional exposure from toys should be minimized due to high exposure to Al from other sources. | SCHEER [22] |
Abbreviations: Al—aluminium; bw—body weight; Cal/OSHA—California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health; CCC—criteria chronic concentration; CMC—criteria maximum concentration; EFSA—European Food Safety Authority; EPA—Environmental Protection Agency; LOAEL—lowest-observed-adverse-effect level; NIOSH—The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; NOAEL—no-observed-adverse-effect level; NOS—not otherwise specified; OSHA—Occupational Safety and Health Administration; PEL—permissible exposure limit; PTWI—provisional tolerable weekly intake; REL—recommended exposure limit; SCHEER—Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks; TWA—time-weighted average; TWI—tolerable weekly intake; WHO—World Health Organization.