Tests on the suitability of aluminium for the manufacture of eating, drinking and cooking utensils carried out as long ago as 1892 came to the conclusion that, under the conditions that would normally be possible, no damage to human health was to be expected as a result of eating or drinking items that had been cooked or stored in aluminium utensils.

The large amount of biological and medical research that has been conducted since then has shown the following:

Aluminium is the worlds most common metallic element and constitutes about eight per cent of the Earths crust. Aluminium is present in the form of the widest possible range of chemical compounds in the most common types of rock, soils, drinking water and plants. Aluminium is also present in all clay rocks and has thus been a component of mineral cooking vessels since the beginning of civilisation. The evolution of life and human civilisation has developed since the year dot in an aluminium-rich environment. Traces of aluminium also find their way via the food chain into plant and human tissues.

• The aluminium content of the food intake of an average adult is between three and 12 milligrams a day depending on the persons eating habits, although in special cases patients can sometimes have an intake of aluminium-containing medication of more than 1000 milligrams a day, usually as aluminium hydroxide. Over 99 per cent of these amounts is excreted again immediately and the rest enters the bloodstream, from where the kidneys filter it out into the urine.

• The acute toxicity (adverse effects resulting from a single exposure or multiple exposures within a short space of time) of aluminium is comparable with that of common salt and is low - there are no adverse effects with a dose of 100 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

• Compared with the natural intake of aluminium with food (between 3 and 12 milligrams per day), the additional intake via food that is prepared in aluminium utensils or is in contact with aluminium foil or beverage cans is negligible (usually about 0.1 milligrams a day)

There is no health risk from aluminium preparations. On the contrary, aluminium preparations contribute to recovery and well-being. Alternative preparations are inferior to aluminium compounds.

• Aluminium is a natural constituent of surface waters and groundwater. The majority of waterworks worldwide use aluminium sulphate for processing drinking water. Flocculants are used to tie up and filter out the small inorganic particles, bacteria and other organisms in the water that pose a potential risk to humans. Without the use of aluminium, drinking water is often undrinkable because of its high content of natural or pathogenic (disease-causing) substances. There are no health-relevant criteria cited by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the evaluation of the aluminium content of drinking water.

• Aluminium compounds are also found in deodorants, toothpaste and in disinfectants. There are no known deleterious effects due to the aluminium in these products. The use of aluminium in the fields of application described is approved by the WHO.

There was also a vague suspicion at one time that aluminium was a cause of Alzheimers disease. However, the issue here is a multifactorial disorder involving genetic and environmental factors. The most recent comprehensive report was prepared in 1997 by a task group of the International Programme on Chemical Safety under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This report concludes: "There is no evidence to support a primary causative role of aluminium in Alzheimers disease and aluminium does not induce Alzheimers disease pathology in vivo in any species, including humans. The hypothesis that exposure of the elderly population in some regions to higher levels of aluminium in drinking water may exacerbate or accelerate Alzheimers disease is not supported by available data".

• During the 7th International Conference on Alzheimers Disease and Related Disorders in July 2000, which was attended by over 1000 experts, aluminium was not considered to be a significant factor for Alzheimers disease.

• A study published by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment on 13 December 2005 concluded that there was no connection between the aluminium intake from food utensils and Alzheimers. Further research into the causes of the disease is being conducted.

Based on the current scientific state of the art, aluminium is not harmful to healthy organisms under normal circumstances. However, a better understanding of the effect of aluminium has to continue to be a subject of research.