Aluminum exposure: a study of an effect on cellular growth rate

Aluminum effects on cultured human brain cells were examined. Human brain cells (neuroblastoma IMR-32) were cultured to examine possible effects of soluble aluminum at a cellular level. The cellular growth rate was measured by counting the number of cells with a hemocytometer under an optical microscope over a period of time. No significant change in cell growth was found during a three-week exposure period to aluminum at concentrations from 0.1 to 10 mg/l. However, after 3 weeks Al started to reduce the growth rate relative to the control, and the decrease became more pronounced as the exposure period to aluminum increased. The effect was greatest at the higher Al-concentration.