ABSTRACT
Aluminum (Al) is a ubiquitous light metal found in the earth’s crust as aluminosilicate minerals. There is no known beneficial biological role for Al in plants, animals, or microorganisms. Aluminosilicate minerals dissolve in acidic soils, releasing soluble trivalent Al3+ that at a concentration ≥0.4 mg/L (10 µM) the soil solution is strongly toxic to root growth of many plants, thereby limiting plant production. In the aqueous environment, soluble Al is strongly toxic to fish and algae. Uptake of Al by humans from food, water, and pharmaceutical0s has been implicated in some neurological diseases in humans.
