The Speciation of Aluminum in Environmental Samples

There are many sources of heavy metals in the environment. They can get there from the atmosphere as a result of intensive rain or snowfall, or they can be eroded out of the bedrock or soil. Larger amounts, often exceeding permitted concentrations, are most frequently due to emissions/discharges from industrial areas. The great variety of sources and physico-chemical conditions means that an element can occur in many different forms. That is why any assessment of the degree of contamination of the environment should be carried out not only from the point of view of the total amount of a metal found in environmental samples; it is also very important to know the contents of stable species of metals, constituting a potential reserve in the biocirculation. Moreover, the forms of occurrence of aluminum determine its toxicity or the synergistic relationships it enters into with other substances, which in turn determine its uptake and absorption by living organisms.