Home › Biomarkers › Aluminium
An average adult in the United States takes in about 7 to 9 mg of aluminium a day from food. Almost all food, water, air and soil contain some aluminium.[1]
On this page you can read what aluminium is, what the guidelines say about a level that is too low or too high, what affects your level and which values are best to look at alongside it.
Also known as: Al, aluminium in blood, aluminum. At the lab: AL.
Aluminium is a light, silvery white metal. In nature it is always bound to other substances, such as oxygen, silicon and fluorine. You know it from cans, pans, foil and aeroplanes.[1]
Aluminium compounds are also found in everyday products. Think of antacids, buffered aspirin, food additives, cosmetics and antiperspirant deodorant.[1]
Aluminium is one of the metals a doctor can have measured when testing for heavy metals. Blood and urine are the samples used most often for this.[2]
Exposure to aluminium is usually not harmful. A lot of aluminium can, however, affect your health. People who breathe in a lot of aluminium dust at work can develop lung problems, such as coughing or abnormalities on a chest X-ray.[1]
Some people with a kidney condition store a lot of aluminium in their body. In them, bone or brain conditions sometimes develop that may be caused by that excess aluminium.[1]
Because metals are almost everywhere, it is normal to have a little of them in your body. If that amount becomes too high, it can lead to poisoning.[2]
Children do not seem to be more sensitive to aluminium than adults. Breast milk contains some aluminium, but only a little of it gets into the baby's body.[1]
Labplusarts, the lab BioProfile works with, uses a reference value of 0 to 0.3 umol/l for aluminium. The lab calls a value between those limits normal.[3]
| Value | What it can mean | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 0.3 umol/l[3] | Normal according to the lab | Who runs the aluminium test at this lab |
Source: Labplusarts, the lab BioProfile works with. Reference value for the aluminium test (AL).[3]
A measurement of aluminium in blood or urine can show whether you have been exposed to more aluminium than normal. A high level can therefore point to such greater exposure. A doctor looks at the result alongside your symptoms and how you came into contact with metals.[1, 2]
BioProfile is working on its own zones for each value, from risk to optimal. A doctor reviews those zones before they appear in your result.
Almost all food and water contains some aluminium. Only a very small amount gets into your body from aluminium pans and other kitchen utensils. Of what you swallow, breathe in or take up through your skin, only a very small part reaches your blood.[1]
Antacids and buffered aspirin can contain a lot of aluminium. You can take in more of it if you take such a product while eating or drinking citrus products at the same time. Vaccinations can also contain small amounts of aluminium.[1]
You can take in more aluminium if you breathe in aluminium dust at work. The same applies if you live in a dusty area, where aluminium is mined or processed, or where the soil naturally contains a lot of aluminium.[1]
Some people with a kidney condition store a lot of aluminium in their body. Children with kidney problems who were given aluminium as part of their medical care developed bone conditions.[1]
Aluminium is not in any of the five packages. You will find aluminium in the separate test BioProfile Heavy metals.[4]
The BioProfile editorial team wrote this page on 5 October 2026 from the sources below, which we read on 5 October 2026. Every number on this page appears in one of those sources, with that source's number next to it. An expert has yet to review this page; once that review is done, the expert's name and the date of the review will appear at the top. This page explains and does not diagnose. Discuss a value outside the normal range with your GP.
