الفهرس 
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Abstract
Aluminum is a widely occurring element in the environment, next to oxygen and
silicon. It was acknowledged that aluminum is a neurotoxic and bioaccumulative metal that
causes a wide range of morbidity to the human-being and even mortality, particularly in
patients with chronic renal failure.
The major route of aluminum exposure comes through the food (>90%). The most
common source is aluminum-containing food additives. Also cooking in aluminum utensils
is an avoidable source of aluminum exposure. Literature revealed that aluminum migration
during cooking in aluminum cookwares depends on the surface area of the used utensil,
duration and the temperature of heating, the composition and the pH-value of food, and
presence of other substances (e.g. organic acids, salt and other ions). The more the surface
area of cookware, the more leaching of the metal to the cooked food. The high acidic or
basic food cooked, the more leaching of the metal to the cooked food.
Dietary exposure to aluminum from food is a major problem that may threaten the
health of the students in the Alexandria University Residences in which aluminum utensils
used during cooking process.
So, the aim of this study was to assess the aluminum toxicity from the food provided
to students in the different six Alexandria University Residences by estimating the mean
weekly dietary intake of aluminum, evaluating its adherence to its relevant health guidance
values and predicting which food item is more contributing for aluminum toxicity.
from each residence, 20 samples from different food items were taken over 9
consecutive weeks. A total of 1080 different food samples from the six residences were
taken to the Central Lab of The High Institute of Public Health to estimate the aluminum
level, calculate the total weekly dietary intake from each residence, and compare it with the
health guidance values.
The dietary aluminum exposure from certain food was deterministically assessed in
the following steps:
1- Estimation of the daily intake of aluminum from each food group
2- Estimation of the weekly intake of aluminum from each food group
3- Estimation of the total weekly intake of aluminum from different food
types
4- Estimation of the food frequency contribution of aluminum from each
food group
The estimated Total Weekly intake from different food types provided to students in
each residence was compared with the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (2 mg/kg
bw/week) established by The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health
Organization Expert (FAO/WHO) Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and the
Tolerable Weekly Intake (1mg/kg bw/week) established by European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA).
Results revealed that there is no significant difference in the total weekly dietary
aluminum intake among the different residences. It was found that the total weekly dietary
aluminum intake of an average weighed 60 kg student in Alexandria university residence is
estimated to be 2.168 mg/kg bw/week; this value exceeds the health guidance values.
So, in order to provide the students with a safe and healthy food, the following
instructions should be recommended:
• Aluminum cookware should be banned and replaced by one of several
options: Porcelain, Glass, Titanium and high quality stainless steel
(18/18) or (18/10) or (18/0) cookware.
• Do not cook with aluminum foil, and minimize its use in food storage
especially if it is still hot. Never use it to wrap acidic foods (oranges,
lemons, tomatoes, etc.). It’s better to be replaced by wax paper or glass
food storage containers.
• Balanced healthy diet especially which is rich in anti-oxidants is essential to
antagonize the effects of trace elements.