5573-1

Aluminum [Mass/mass] in Hair

Active

Part Description

LP16800-2   Aluminum
Aluminium (Al) is a metal which is distributed throughout our environment. It has been used since approximately 1887. Al is widely used in multiple industries and consumer products. It has no known function in biology. Al usually enters the human body via cooking utensils or pharmicological agents such as antacids (Al (OH)3 )and antiperspirants. Aluminum salts are remarkably nontoxic, aluminum sulfate having an LD50 of 6207 mg/kg (oral, mouse), which corresponds to 500 grams for an 80 kg (180 lb) person. Aluminum is excreted by filtration by the glomeruli of the kidney. Patients in renal failure lose the ability to clear aluminum, and aluminum toxicity may be a concern. Aluminum accumulates in the blood and binds to proteins such as albumin, and then distributed throughout the body.Because aluminum competes with calcium for absorption, increased amounts of dietary aluminum may contribute to the reduced skeletal mineralization (osteopenia) observed in preterm infants and infants with growth retardation. In very high doses, aluminum is associated with altered function of the blood-brain barrier. A small percentage of people are allergic to aluminum and experience contact dermatitis, digestive disorders, vomiting or other symptoms upon contact or ingestion of products containing aluminum. In those without allergies, aluminum is not as toxic as heavy metals, but there is evidence of some toxicity if consumed in amounts greater than 40 mg/day per kg of body mass. Aluminum is classified as a non-carcinogen by the US Department of Health and Human Services. In case of suspected sudden intake of a large amount of aluminum, deferoxamine mesylate may be given to help eliminate it from the body by chelation. (Tietz: Clinical Guide to Laboratory Tests, Fourth Edition)
The mechanism of how the neurotoxicity of AI occurs is still unclear. Evidence suggests that oxidative stress and inflammatory processes lead to cell death. As a neurotoxin, Al is considered has been linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Parkinsonism and even Gulf war syndrome. PMID: 27479193 (for human medicine)

Veterinary Medicine:
In veterinary medicine, the impact of aluminum toxicity is similar. An animal proven to have aluminum toxicity from an ingested foreign body had symptoms of muscle twitching and convulsions during exercise, which worsened to weakened limbs and coma until the source of the toxicity was removed. PMID: 23609067 Source: Regenstrief LOINC

Fully-Specified Name

Component

Aluminum

Property

MCnt

Time

Pt

System

Hair

Scale

Qn

Method

Additional Names

Long Common Name

Aluminum [Mass/mass] in Hair

Short Name

Aluminum Hair-mCnt

Display Name

Aluminum (Hair) [Mass/Mass]

Consumer Name Alpha Get Info

Aluminum, Hair

Basic Attributes

Class

DRUG/TOX

Type

Laboratory

First Released

Version 1.0

Last Updated

Version 2.19 (MIN)

Order vs. Observation

Both

Member of these Panels

Language Variants Get Info

Related Names

• AL
• Aluminium
• DRUG/TOXICOLOGY
• Drugs
• Har
• Mass content
• Point in time
• QNT
• Quan
• Quant
• Quantitative
• Random

Example Units

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CodeSystem lookup

https://fhir.loinc.org/CodeSystem/$lookup?system=http://loinc.org&code=5573-1

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Copyright © 2025 Regenstrief Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved. To the extent included herein, the LOINC table and LOINC codes are copyright © Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) Committee. See https://loinc.org/license for the full LOINC copyright and license.