ABSTRACT
In 1856 Charles Dickens expressed enthusiasm about the newly discovered metal aluminum (Al), but it was not until 1886 that large-scale production was introduced. Since that time the use of Al has increased enormously and has become the focus of a major industry. A few studies on Al toxicity were carried out as early as 1888, but over the years, exposure to Al has generally been considered to be a minor problem. In a report in 1957, Campbell et al. expressed few concerns about hazards to human health presented by Al (1). The extensive literature that formed the basis of this report was published prior to the development of reliable analytical methods for the measurement of Al.
