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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Medical concern over high aluminum content in blood

2002

One of my relatives worked in the aluminum component manufacturing industry and he worked closely with machining and finishing many types of aluminum parts. He worked in this job for 2 years when he was 22-23 years old. Recently he has some blood work done and they noticed he has unusually high aluminum content in his blood. They told him the reading was 116 when a normal level is 20. Is there cause for concern here? Will the levels decline now that he is not in the aluminum industry?

Thanks,

William L. Bircher
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

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Whether such an aluminum level is cause for concern is a medical question, not a medical finishing question; nobody here can answer at well as his doctor.

As for whether his work environment caused the elevated aluminum level, that's a good question. It seems pretty unlikely to me, but I'm only imagining his working conditions, not witnessing them.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2002