Aluminium is the most abundant metal ion in the biosphere and we are continuously exposed to it in our everyday life through food, beverages, pharmaceutical products, etc. This book is a current and comprehensive review of the biochemistry, metabolism and toxicity of aluminium undertaken by an international group of authors, many of whom are outstanding authorities in their respective fields. In contrast with previous books on this topic, much of the subject matter is unique, in that it is primarily directed at aluminium nutrition and toxicity in infants and children. This book covers many aspects of aluminium toxicity in infants including for instance the embryo-fetal as well as the neurodevelopmental effects of this element, contamination of pharmaceutical products, and individual sensitivity through vaccines using aluminium as an adjuvant.This book will be especially useful to paediatricians, paediatric nephrologists & neurologists, nutritionists, toxicologists, biochemical toxicologists and postgraduate students.
Infant formulas are unique because they are the only source of nutrition for many infants during the first 4 to 6 months of life. They are critical to infant health since they must safely support growth and development during a period when the consequences on inadequate nutrition are most severe. Existing guidelines and regulations for evaluating the safety of conventional food ingredients (e.g., vitamins and minerals) added to infant formulas have worked well in the past; however they are not sufficient to address the diversity of potential new ingredients proposed by manufacturers to develop formulas that mimic the perceived and potential benefits of human milk. This book, prepared at the request of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada, addresses the regulatory and research issues that are critical in assessing the safety of the addition of new ingredients to infants.
Vaccines are among the most safe and effective public health interventions to prevent serious disease and death. Because of the success of vaccines, most Americans today have no firsthand experience with such devastating illnesses as polio or diphtheria. Health care providers who vaccinate young children follow a schedule prepared by the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Under the current schedule, children younger than six may receive as many as 24 immunizations by their second birthday. New vaccines undergo rigorous testing prior to receiving FDA approval; however, like all medicines and medical interventions, vaccines carry some risk. Driven largely by concerns about potential side effects, there has been a shift in some parents' attitudes toward the child immunization schedule. The Childhood Immunization Schedule and Safety identifies research approaches, methodologies, and study designs that could address questions about the safety of the current schedule. This report is the most comprehensive examination of the immunization schedule to date. The IOM authoring committee uncovered no evidence of major safety concerns associated with adherence to the childhood immunization schedule. Should signals arise that there may be need for investigation, however, the report offers a framework for conducting safety research using existing or new data collection systems.
The subject of aluminium and Alzheimer's disease has been plagued with controversy. This controversy has served to obscure much of the scientific research in this field, and subsequently has obscured the possibility that aluminium is a contributory factor in the aetiology of Alzheimer's disease. This book brings together many of the world's leading scientists researching aluminium and life and contains their critical summaries on the known facts about aluminium toxicity in man and to offer an opinion on the implications of this knowledge on a link between aluminium and Alzheimer's disease. The subject areas of the chapters were chosen to reflect the myriad of ways that aluminium is known to impact upon mammalian physiology and function and range from clinical studies, through animal models of disease to the detailed biochemistry of aluminium toxicity. Chapters are also included on epidemiology and other factors involved in the aetiology of Alzheimer's.This is the first time that this subject has been treated in such a comprehensive manner. The research detailed in each chapter, includes the latest research in the field, it has been critically appraised and this appraisal has been used by each author to present an informed opinion of its relevance to aluminium and Alzheimer's disease. The chapters are much more than reviews; they are a statement of the state of the art and of what the future may hold for research in this field. As a whole they show the high quality of research that has been carried out in our efforts to understand the toxicity of aluminium in man and that we are far away from discounting the possibility that aluminium is a contributory factor in the aetiology of Alzheimer's disease.
Incineration has been used widely for waste disposal, including household, hazardous, and medical wasteâ€"but there is increasing public concern over the benefits of combusting the waste versus the health risk from pollutants emitted during combustion. Waste Incineration and Public Health informs the emerging debate with the most up-to-date information available on incineration, pollution, and human healthâ€"along with expert conclusions and recommendations for further research and improvement of such areas as risk communication. The committee provides details on: Processes involved in incineration and how contaminants are released. Environmental dynamics of contaminants and routes of human exposure. Tools and approaches for assessing possible human health effects. Scientific concerns pertinent to future regulatory actions. The book also examines some of the social, psychological, and economic factors that affect the communities where incineration takes place and addresses the problem of uncertainty and variation in predicting the health effects of incineration processes.
Vax Facts is a one-stop-shop for all the information parents and guardians need to make an informed choice about childhood vaccinations. The challenge for most who are wrestling with whether to give a vaccine is a lack of understanding about what information they really need to make an informed decision. Written by a pediatrician who witnessed the difference over decades in the health outcomes of the vaccinated, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated children in his practice, Vax Facts will enlighten parents and guardians and provide the information needed for informed consent. Covering each of the vaccines recommended by the CDC and doctors, from pregnancy through the teen years, this detailed guide breaks down the ingredients, the lack of safety testing, and the side effects and risks of the vaccines. With the help of simple data tables that compare the rates of death from the diseases for which we have vaccines and the rates of death from the vaccines themselves, parents and guardians can easily decide what’s right for their children. With almost four million births per year in the United States, this useful resource will resonate with all who are pregnant or considering pregnancy, and all parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who are considering whether vaccination is appropriate for a family member or loved one. At the end of each chapter, Just a Mom (coauthor DeeDee Hoover) shares personal stories and reflections that allow readers to connect with the information. This information-packed guide is for all those asking “Should I get my child vaccinated?” who want more than just a yes/no answer. After reading Vax Facts, parents and guardians will be able to decide with confidence whether vaccination is the right choice for their loved one.
This report provides information about aluminum and the human health effects of exposure. This chemical has been found in many sites identified by the EPA for long-term Federal cleanup activities. The report includes a Public Health Statement which explains the toxicologic properties of aluminum in a nontechnical, Q&A format, and a review of the general health effects observed following exposure; a description of health effects; how the chemical can affect children; and information on its chemical and physical properties, production, use and disposal, potential for human exposure, analytical methods, and regulations and advisories.
A food additive is defined as a substance not normally consumed as a food in itself and not normally used as a characteristic ingredient of food whether or not it has nutritive value. Food additives are natural or manufactured substances, which are added to food to restore colors lost during processing. They provide sweetness, prevent deterioration during storage and guard against food poisoning (preservatives). This book provides a review of traditional and non-traditional food preservation approaches and ingredients used as food additives. It also provides detailed knowledge for the evaluation of the agro-industrial wastes based on their great potential for the production of industrially relevant food additives. Furthermore the assessment of potential reproductive and developmental toxicity perspectives of some newly synthesized food additives on market has been covered. Finally, the identification of the areas relevant for future research has been pointed out indicating that there is more and more information needed to explore the possibility of the implementation of some other materials to be used as food additives.
Evaluates the risks to human health and the environment posed by exposure to aluminium. In view of recent evidence suggesting a role of aluminium exposure in the development or progression of Alzheimer''s disease, the report gives particular attention to the methodological strengths and weaknesses of epidemiological studies and the relevance to humans of animal data demonstrating neurotoxicity in several species. Over 700 studies were assessed in an effort to resolve current uncertainties about risks to the general population, exposed workers, the elderly, and several other susceptible subpopulations Background information is provided in the opening sections, which summarize what is known about sources of environmental and human exposure, and discuss the main routes and levels of exposure. The report notes that aluminium is released into the environment both by natural processes and from anthropogenic sources. As aluminium is a major constituent of the earth''s crust and the third most common element, natural processes far outweigh the contribution of anthropogenic sources. Concerning sources of human exposure, ingestion of aluminium present in food is identified as the main source for the general population - with food and beverages accounting for 90-95% of total daily intake. Much higher exposures are noted to occur in certain occupations and in people taking antacids and buffered analgesics. The report also cites recent evidence indicating that drinking-water is a minor source of human exposure. A review of human and animal data on kinetics and metabolism concludes that aluminium and its compounds are poorly absorbed in humans; the highest levels have been detected in the lungs. In animals, aluminium is distributed in most organs within the body, with accumulation occurring mainly in bone at high dose levels. An evaluation of the large body of data from toxicity studies in experimental animals found no evidence that aluminium is carcinogenic and no evidence of fetotoxicity or adverse effects on reproduction. Considerable evidence indicates that aluminium is neurotoxic, with adverse effects on neurological development and brain function. Studies have also demonstrated toxic effects on bone and osteomalacia, as it presents in man, has been consistently observed. The report found no evidence that exposure induces a neurological pathology with the morphological and biochemical characteristics of Alzheimer''s disease. The evaluation of effects on human health gives particular attention to several epidemiological studies carried out to test the hypothesis that aluminium in drinking-water is a risk factor for the development, or acceleration of Alzheimer''s disease, and a possible cause of impaired cognitive function in the elderly, and in occupationally-exposed workers. Following a critical assessment of the design of these studies, all of which have flaws, the report concludes that while a possible association cannot be totally dismissed, currently available evidence does not support a causal relationship between Alzheimer''s disease and exposure to aluminium in drinking-water. The hypothesis that particular exposures, either occupational or via drinking-water, may be associated with non-specific impaired cognitive function was likewise judged to be inadequately supported by available data. While aluminium has not been shown to pose a risk to healthy, non-occupationally exposed humans, abundant studies demonstrate that patients with renal failure are at risk of neurotoxicity, and other disorders from aluminium present in haemodialysis fluid and pharmaceutical products. As iatrogenic aluminium exposure has been shown to pose a hazard to patients with chronic renal failure and to premature infants, the report concludes that every effort should be made to limit exposure in these groups. Concerning risks to the environment, the report concludes that concentrations of aluminium can increase to levels resulting in adverse effects on both aquatic organisms, and terrestrial plants in some areas subject to strong acidifying inputs.
