This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. Everyone is exposed to low levels of aluminum from food, air, and water. Exposure to high levels of aluminum affects breathing, the nervous system, and bones.
High levels can also cause birth defects.
Aluminum has been found in at least 489 of 1,416 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is always found combined with other elements in the earth such as minerals and rocks. Aluminum metal is silver-white and flexible. It is often used in cooking utensils, containers, appliances, and building materials. It is used in paints and fireworks, and to produce glass, rubber, and ceramics.