Trevor Sargent
Ceist:43 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health the acceptable level of aluminium in human tissue and the aluminium levels found in people tested to date in the west County Limerick area. [8221/95]
Written Answers. - Aluminium Levels.
Limerick East): I am advised that an average intake of aluminium is 20 milligrammes per day, range 1-100, by ingestion and 15 microgrammes per day via inhalation leading to a median plasma level of seven microgrammes per litre, range 1.5-15.
Preliminary investigations by the Mid-Western Health Board in the area have not shown up any unusual patterns of illness. Further investigations are presently under way. The assessment of any public health risk there will include assessment of risk arising from any environmental contaminants, including aluminium, associated with the area. No testing of humans for aluminium levels has been carried out to date. Where the risk of human exposure to any contaminant is established by the current investigations, the dose of exposure will be estimated and the public health implications determined.