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Science Chemistry
Updated August 24, 2022, 12:54 PM
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Aluminum is a chemical element with atomic number 13, which means that each aluminum atom has 13 protons in its atomic nucleus. It is represented by the symbol Al and is found in group 13 and period 3 of the periodic table, Therefore, it belongs to the group of p-block metals, the group of metals located next to the metalloids in the periodic table and which tend to be softer and have lower melting points. On Earth, at standard temperature and pressure, aluminum is found in a solid state as part of numerous minerals, but it is never found in its pure state in nature.
Aluminum is the most abundant metallic element in the Earth's crust and the most widely used non-ferrous metal.. Accumulated mainly in the first 16 kilometers of the crust, where it accounts for 8% of its weight, aluminum is also the third most abundant element in the crust, behind only oxygen and silicon. It is found in numerous minerals, generally silicates, but it is extracted only from the mineral known as bauxite, a sedimentary rock with a high aluminum dioxide (Al) content.2EITHER3), through its transformation into alumina and subsequent electrolysis. Aluminum is also a very abundant metal on the Moon., where it is found in a proportion of 15%.
Aluminum is one of the most modern metals we know, although it was already used in ancient times in the form of alum without even knowing it was this metal. It was discovered by the Danish chemist Hans Christian Oersted who isolated it for the first time in 1825. Two years later the German chemist Friedrich Wöhler He obtained it in powder form, and it was not until 1845 that Wöhler himself described the metal's properties for the first time. However, aluminum was not isolated in its metallic form until 1954 by the chemist Henri Sainte-Claire Deville, who presented it to the world in the form of ingots at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855.
Aluminum is one of the most abundant metals on Earth and one of the most widely used today in all kinds of fields. It is a very stable element, with little negative impact on human health, however, when administered in high amounts through diet, breathing, or skin contact, aluminum can have detrimental effects on health. Among the dangers associated with aluminum are damage to the central nervous system, memory loss, dementia, and severe tremors. Prolonged breathing of air contaminated with aluminum dust can also cause the disease known as aluminosis of the lung, characterized by difficulty breathing. In children, high levels of aluminum in the body can cause brain damage and bone development.It has also been observed that some people suffering from certain kidney diseases accumulate a large amount of aluminum in their bodies.
Today, the main environmental effects of aluminum are due to acid precipitation and the resulting increase in aluminum concentration in soil and freshwater. Thus, when found in In high concentrations, aluminum has been recognized as a toxic agent, especially for aquatic organisms. Thus, in the aquatic environment, aluminum acts as a toxic agent in gill-breathing animals, such as fish and invertebrates, causing osmoregulation failures.
Excess aluminum obtained in the diet can be easily absorbed and interfere with important metabolic processes in mammals and birds. The mycorrhizae and fine root systems of terrestrial plants are also negatively affected by high levels of aluminum. As in animals, in plants, aluminum appears to have its primary effect on enzyme systems important for nutrient absorption. Another problem is its accumulation, as aluminum-contaminated invertebrates and plants could be a link for aluminum to enter terrestrial food chains.
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