58 
 

Journal homepage: www.fia.usv.ro/fiajournal 
Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering,  

Ştefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania  
Volume XIV, Issue 1 - 2015, pag. 58 – 66 

 

 

 

COMPARISON OF ALUMINIUM SORPTION USING  

INORGANIC AND ORGANIC NATURAL SORBENTS  

 
Danka BARLOKOVÁ1, Ján ILAVSKÝ1,  

Eleonóra FRANKOVÁ1, Tomáš MOLNÁR 1  
 

Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, 
Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Slovak University of Technology,  

Radlinského 11, 813 68 Bratislava, Slovakia 
danka.barlokova@stuba.sk, jan.ilavsky@stuba.sk, 

*Corresponding author  
Received 5th March 2015, accepted 29th March 2015  

 
 
Abstract: Aluminium is the third most abundant element on the Earth. Most often it is tightly bound 
in rocks. On acidification of the environment with acid rain or civilization interventions, there is a 
release of aluminium in rocks bound to the soluble form of aluminum salts. The effects of acidification 
are in the final phase of ecosystems visibly unsafe (damage to crops, mortality of fish in lakes and 
rivers, etc.). The results of laboratory tests with a strain of Penicillium glabrum and Natural zeolit – 
cliniptilolit to estimate the sorption efficiency for removal of aluminum from water are presented. 
 
Keywords: Water treatment, removal of aluminium, Penicilium glabrum, natural zeolites, drinking 
water 
 
 
 
1. Introduction 
 
In the Earth´s crust, aluminum is the most 
abundant (8.3% by weight) metallic 
element and the third most abundant of all 
elements (after oxygen and silicon). 
Because of its strong affinity to oxygen, it 
is almost never found in the elemental 
state; instead it is found in oxides or 
silicates. There are more than 270 different 
minerals containing aluminum. 
After acidification of the environment by 
acid rain or civilization interventions leads 
to the release of aluminum bound in rocks 
to form soluble aluminum salts.  
Aluminum concentration in the waters are 
significantly affected by pH, at neutral pH 
values are generally low, in the range 1-50 

μg/l and more acidic waters are rising up to 
500-1000 μg/l, the concentration greater 
than 700 μg/l Al it is toxic to fish [1]. The 
concentration 0.52 mg/l aluminum greatly 
reduces the growth of fish. 
In seawater, the concentration of aluminum 
depends on the salinity of the water, 
normally is around 1-2 μg/l [2]. In the open 
oceans are aluminum concentration of 
about 0.5 μg/l [3]. 
Aluminum may be present in different 
forms, at a higher pH is dominated by ion 
Al(OH)4-, whereas the lower pH prevalent 
toxic Al3+ [4]. Higher concentrations of 
aluminum in surface water are in a period 
of high water levels, storm after rain or 
spring snowmelt in [5]. 

http://www.fia.usv.ro/fiajournal
mailto:danka.barlokova@stuba.sk,
mailto:jan.ilavsky@stuba.sk,


Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 
Volume XIV, Issue  1  – 2015 

 
 

 
D a n ka  B AR L O KO VÁ ,  J án I L AVS K Ý ,  E l eo nór a  F R AN K O V Á,  T o máš  M OL NÁ R ,  C om pa r i s o n o f  
a l u m i n u m  s o r p ti o n u s i n g i n or g a ni c a nd  o rg a ni c n a t ur a l  s or b e n t s ,  F o od  and E n v ir o nme nt  S af e t y,  
V o lu me  X IV ,  Is s ue 1  – 20 1 5,  p ag .  5 8  - 6 6  

59 
 

Aluminum levels in drinking-water vary 
according to the levels found in the source 
water and whether aluminum coagulants 
are used during water treatment [6]. In 
Germany, levels of aluminum in public 
water supplies averaged 0.01 mg/l in the 
western region, whereas levels in 2.7% of 
public supplies in the eastern region 
exceeded 0.2 mg/l. In a 1993–1994 survey 
of public water supplies in Ontario, 
Canada, 75% of all average levels were 
less than 0.1 mg/l, with a range of 0.04 - 
0.85 mg/L. In a large monitoring program 
in 1991 in the United Kingdom, 
concentrations in 553 samples (0.7%) 
exceeded 0.2 mg/l. In a survey of 186 
community water supplies in the USA, 
median aluminum concentrations for all 
finished drinking-water samples ranged 
from 0.03 to 0.1 mg/l; for facilities using 
aluminum sulfate coagulation, the median 
level was 0.1 mg/l, with a maximum of 2.7 
mg/l. In another US survey, the average 
aluminum concentration in treated water at 
facilities using Al2(SO4)3 coagulation 
ranged from 0.01 to 1.3 mg/l, with an 
overall average of 0.16 mg/l. 
Despite its natural abundance, aluminum 
has no known function in biology. It is 
remarkably nontoxic, aluminum sulfate 
having an LD50 of 6207 mg/kg (oral, 
mouse), which corresponds to 500 grams 
for a 80 kg person [7]. Despite the extre-
mely low acute toxicity, the health effects 
of aluminum are of interest in view of the 
widespread occurrence of the element in 
the environment and in commerce. 
Some toxicity can be traced to deposition 
in bone and the central nervous system, 
which is particularly increased in patients 
with reduced renal function. Because 
aluminum competes with calcium for 
absorption, increased amounts of dietary 
aluminum may contribute to the reduced 
skeletal mineralization (osteopenia) 
observed in preterm infants and infants 
with growth retardation. In very high 

doses, aluminum can cause neurotoxicity, 
and is associated with altered function of 
the blood–brain barrier [8,9]. A small 
percentage of people are allergic to 
aluminum and experience contact 
dermatitis, digestive disorders, vomiting or 
other symptoms upon contact or ingestion 
of products containing aluminum, such as 
deodorants or antacids. In those without 
allergies, aluminum is not as toxic as 
heavy metals, but there is evidence of 
some toxicity if it is consumed in excessive 
amounts [10]. Aluminium in food may be 
absorbed more than aluminium from water 
[11].  
Aluminium is presented at low 
concentration in foodstuff. It is being used 
in conservation of the food in a powder 
(instant coffee, milk-powder, firming agent 
for whipped cream, etc.). There is 
increased content of aluminium in the 
conditioner dough, tea leaves and in the 
drugs used against ill-digestion. Higher 
aluminium concentrations, that may 
toxically affect the organisms,  enter the 
foodstuff by abrasion or by leaching of 
aluminium cookware.  
Aluminium tocixocy is an serious factor 
that is limitating the growth of the plants 
and woody plants in the acid soils. 
Moreover, the toxicity of the aluminium is 
being expressed also in microorganisms 
and animals [12]. In a kidney function 
disorder diseases, the neurotoxical effects 
of aluminium on organism was proved. 
The utterances of aluminium intoxication 
represent the seizures, logagnosia and 
dementia utterances that is reffered to as 
Alzheimer's disease. Even if the opinions 
of the neuroendokrinologists are not 
completely united, they are affraid of water 
and food aluminium contamination may 
cause the emergence of Alzheimer's 
disease, which is the degenerative kind of 
disease related to reduction of the brain 
cells and by that also to decrease of brain 



Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 
Volume XIV, Issue  1  – 2015 

 
 

 
D a n ka  B AR L O KO VÁ ,  J án I L AVS K Ý ,  E l eo nór a  F R AN K O V Á,  T o máš  M OL NÁ R ,  C om pa r i s o n o f  
a l u m i n u m  s o r p ti o n u s i n g i n or g a ni c a nd  o rg a ni c n a t ur a l  s or b e n t s ,  F o od  and E n v ir o nme nt  S af e t y,  
V o lu me  X IV ,  Is s ue 1  – 20 1 5,  p ag .  5 8  - 6 6  

60 
 

functional capabilities, including the 
intelect. 
There was recorded the aluminosis 
occurence in Germany (a severe lungs 
disease that is similar to silicosis). 
Aluminosis is caused by inhalant 
aluminium exposure or by alumina 
exposure. Moreover, in the presence of air 
the organometallic compounds of 
aluminium are self-igniting. The effect of 
aluminium organometallic compounds on 
the skin represents the epidermis irritation 
and after inhalation of these compounds 
the bleeding into lungs may occur. 
Encephalopathy (brain fever), 
osteodistrofia and anemia (increase in 
white blood cells) are among intoxication, 
which may be caused by aluminum. For 
alluminium salts toxicity determination, 
analogous to gallium and indium, the 
crutial point represents anion.Among the 
most toxic anions include Cl-, NO3- and 
SO4

2- [13].  
The Regulation of the Government of the 
Slovak Republic No. 269/2010 sets the 
limit concentration for aluminum in 
surface water 0.2 mg/L, limit concentration 
for Al in streams intended for drinking 
water abstraction 0.2 mg/L in the category 
A1 (water requiring simple physical 
treatment and disinfection or rapid 
filtration and disinfection), 0.2 mg/L in the 
category A2 (water requiring physical-
chemical treatment and disinfection, e.g. 
coagulation, flocculation, filtration and 
chlorine disinfection) and 1.0 mg/L in the 
category A3 (water requiring intensive 
physical-chemical treatment and disinfect-
tion, e.g. coagulation, flocculation, 
filtration, adsorption using active carbon, 
chlorine and ozone disinfection). 
The Regulation of the Government of the 
Slovak Republic No. 496/2010 
establishing the requirements for water 
intended for human consumption and 
water quality monitoring sets the 
permissible limit concentration 0.2 mg/L 

for aluminium in drinking waters. This 
limit complies with the recommendations 
of the WHO and the Council Directive 
98/83/EU. 
At the end of 80-ies were found in our 
deposit of natural zeolite with a high 
content of mineral zeolite - clinoptilolite in 
Nižný Hrabovec, in eastern neovol-canites. 
Besides this deposit, the Zeolite 
accumulations were discovered in the 
complex of the Central Slovakian 
neovolcanites, in the South – Western 
border of Kremnické vrchy and in 
Zemplínske pohorie on the territory of the 
Slovak Republic. 
Natural zeolites were created by prolonged 
exposure of mineral alkaline solutions at 
different petrographic types of rocks of 
different ages at elevated temperatures. 
Not surprisingly, therefore, that these 
aluminosilicates bearings are close to hot 
dilute mineral or volcanic craters. 
Environment in which they were created, 
reflecting their structure and chemical 
composition. Zeolites are naturally not in a 
pure state, but usually in conjunction with 
other minerals and rocks that are part of 
them. Every deposit contains a rock of 
specific mineralogical composition. 
Mineralogical and chemical analysis of 
Zeolitic material – Clinoptilolite is stated 
in Table 1 and Table 2.     

Table 1   
Mineralogical analysis of Zeolite from deposit 

Nižný Hrabovec [14] 
 

Mineral Content [%] 

Clinoptilolite 84 

Cristobalite 8 

Feldspar 3-4 

Illite 4 
Quartz Traces 

Minerals of carbonates  Traces (<0.5 %) 

 



Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 
Volume XIV, Issue  1  – 2015 

 
 

 
D a n ka  B AR L O KO VÁ ,  J án I L AVS K Ý ,  E l eo nór a  F R AN K O V Á,  T o máš  M OL NÁ R ,  C om pa r i s o n o f  
a l u m i n u m  s o r p ti o n u s i n g i n or g a ni c a nd  o rg a ni c n a t ur a l  s or b e n t s ,  F o od  and E n v ir o nme nt  S af e t y,  
V o lu me  X IV ,  Is s ue 1  – 20 1 5,  p ag .  5 8  - 6 6  

61 
 

 
Table 2   

Chemical analysis of Clinoptilolite from deposits 
Nižný Hrabovec [14] 

 

Compound  Content [%] 
SiO2 66.4 
Al2O3 12.2 

K2O 3.33 

CaO 3.04 

Fe2O3 1.45 

MgO 0.56 

Na2O 0.29 

MnO 0.02 
TiO2 0.15 

P2O5 0.02 

Loss by ignition 12.2 

 
The primary structural unit of the zeolite is 
an octahedron, formed of silicon and 
aluminum atoms with oxygen atoms 
coordinated tetratedricky. Representation 
of silicon and aluminum to oxygen is 
usually 1:2. This creates the crystal 
structure of relatively large cavities 
interconnected channels, which effectively 
averages range from 0.2 to 0.7 nm, and the 

total volume is empty space as 20 to 50% 
of the mineral. These cavities are stored 
mobile single or divalent cations of alkali 
metals and alkaline earth metals (Ca, K, 
Na) are surrounded by water molecules, 
which can be exchanged for other from the 
surrounding solution [15,16]. 
Wide range of uses of natural zeolites in 
various sectors of the economy is 
determined by their structure and 
physicochemical properties. One of the 
most important properties of zeolite 
minerals is their catalytic properties, the 
ability to exchange ions and adsorb organic 
or inorganic molecules of certain sizes 
[17,18].  
In the last decades the Zeolitic mineral – 
Clinoptilolite has started to be also used in 
drinking water treatment. Zeolites are not 
to be found in the grained condition in the 
natural deposits, and before their use, 
Zeolites require crushing and sorting at the 
required fractions in the waterworks 
engineering. Sufficient mechanical 
strength, chemical stability and abrasion 
values, by which, though, they are 
classified among the soft filtering 
materials, and which permit to use the 
natural Zeolites as a filtering material [19].  

   
  Table 3 

Filtration materials and some of their parameters 
 

Material Clinoptilolite Filtration sand Activated carbon 

Grain size [mm] 0.3 – 2.5 0.3 – 1.0 0.3 – 1.5 
Specific weight [g.cm-3] 2.39 2.66 2.19 
Apparent density [g.cm-3] 0.84 1.55 0.40 
Porosity  [%] 64.8 41.7 81.7 
Abrasion [%] 8.2 0.57 39.08 

 
The specific weight of Clinoptilolite is 
lower as compared with the siliceous sand, 
and porosity and sludge capacity exceeds 
by 1.5-times the values of filtering sand. 
Clinoptilolite in combination with siliceous 

sand is more effective in elimination of Fe, 
Al, NH4, etc. During slow sand filtration it 
enabled increasing the filtration speed up 
to quadruply. Clinoptilolite as compared 
with the classical materials used in the 



Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 
Volume XIV, Issue  1  – 2015 

 
 

 
D a n ka  B AR L O KO VÁ ,  J án I L AVS K Ý ,  E l eo nór a  F R AN K O V Á,  T o máš  M OL NÁ R ,  C om pa r i s o n o f  
a l u m i n u m  s o r p ti o n u s i n g i n or g a ni c a nd  o rg a ni c n a t ur a l  s or b e n t s ,  F o od  and E n v ir o nme nt  S af e t y,  
V o lu me  X IV ,  Is s ue 1  – 20 1 5,  p ag .  5 8  - 6 6  

62 
 

dressing  and  reparation engineering, has 
got the properties, which predestine it for 
utilization in the water treatment processes, 
and it meets the demands made upon the 
granular filtering materials.  
 
2. Experimental 
 
2.1Aluminium sorption using inorganic 
natural sorbents  
The model laboratory experiments we 
observed sorption of aluminum on two 
natural sorbents of inorganic and organic 
origin. In our experiments we tested the 
natural zeolite - clinoptilolite, and 
compared the sorption capacity of the 
sorption capacity Penicillium glabrum.  
Adsorption was studied for different initial 
concentrations of the aluminum in water. 
A milled clinoptilotite of 1,2-1,6 mm 
granularity from Nižný Hrabovec deposite 
was used for alluminium sorption 
monitoring. The process of adsorption was 
discouous. The water containing 
Alluminium (400 ml) was in a contact with 
adsorbent for a certain period of time 
(Table 4, Fig.1). Solution of the monitored 
substance, co=50 mg.l-1 initial concentra-
tion, was mixed up with 100 g of 
clinoptilolite in a jar equipped with mixer. 
Samples were taken away in a certain 
latency and the alluminium content of the 
samples was subsequently analysed.  
2.2 Aluminium sorption using organic 
natural sorbents 
Three fungus tripes were used in 
monitoring of the alluminium sorption 
from water environment on a organic 
sorbent. Penicillium glabrum is one of the 
worldwide species [20]. It was isolated 
from various substrates, from a soil, plants, 
cereals, flavourings, wood mass, paper, 
composts, texture substances, fuelling and 
also from natural water, drinking and waste 
water [21-23]. Its occurence in air 
microflora is seasonal and this occurence 
was noticed also in a radioactive 

environment of the uran mines. The 
species, that were we working with it, was 
isolated from a moisty environment of 
drinking - water treatment plants. During 
testing the growing of some micromycetes, 
that were isolated from treatment plants, on 
a cultivation media containing zinc and 
alluminium, we have noticed the same 
growing rate of  P. Glabrum species in 
both types of media - non-alluminium and 
alluminium containing media. 
We inoculated this species by spore 
inoculation to the Roux flasks with 
a Sabouraud media (SAB) in which we 
added the solution of alluminium sulphate 
that way as the final alluminium 
concentration in particular flasks was : 65, 
125, 250, 500 and 1 000 mg.l-1.  
Flasks were incubated at the day-light and 
laboratory temperature for 3 months. The 
growth of the Penicillium glabrum in the 
experimental flasks with alluminium 
sulphate lasted initially for 7-9 days and in 
consideration with the control sample, this 
growth was slowed-down, than the growth 
rate and the character of the growth of the 
experimental samples were in equivalence 
with the control samples in such way, no 
difference in mycelium mass increase and 
in sporulation was noticeable. After the 
end of the experiment the biomass was 
filtered out and dried at 105°C. 
Dried biomasses as well the cultivation 
media filtrates were mineralized with the 
same measures, in HNO3 environment, at 
the temperature of 300°C and the pressure 
of 130 bar in a high-pressure decomposi-
tion system HPA-S company of Anton 
Paar (Austria). 
 
3. Results and discusion 
 
The results of the alluminium sorption 
from water environment on the inorganic 
sorbent (clinoptilolite) for the initial 
alluminium concentration of 50 mg.l-1 are 
shown in the Table 4 and Fig. 1. 



Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 
Volume XIV, Issue  1  – 2015 

 
 

 
D a n ka  B AR L O KO VÁ ,  J án I L AVS K Ý ,  E l eo nór a  F R AN K O V Á,  T o máš  M OL NÁ R ,  C om pa r i s o n o f  
a l u m i n u m  s o r p ti o n u s i n g i n or g a ni c a nd  o rg a ni c n a t ur a l  s or b e n t s ,  F o od  and E n v ir o nme nt  S af e t y,  
V o lu me  X IV ,  Is s ue 1  – 20 1 5,  p ag .  5 8  - 6 6  

63 
 

 
Fig. 1 Relation of alluminium concentration on 
the time, after the zeolite addition 

        
Table 4  

The removal of aluminium from water by using 
clinoptilolite 

t [min] 10 20 30 40 60 120 
cm [mg/l] 32.5 13.0 8.0 6.0 4.5 3.5 
η[%] 35.0 74.0 84.0 88.0 91.0 93.0 
at [mg/g] 60 148 168 176 182 186 

 
Instanteneous adsorption capacity at (1)  
and adsorption efficiency (2) we calculated 
by the following formula: 

 0 m
t

c - c V
a =

m
[mg/g]   (1) 

 0 m
0

c - c 100
η = 

c
 [%] (2) 

where co (mg/l) represents the alluminium 
concentration before adsorption, cm (mg/l)  
represents the alluminium concentration 
after adsorption at the time t, V (l) 
represents a volume of the water solution 
of the polutant, m (g) represents the weight 
of the adsorbent, η (%) represents the 
adsorption efficiency, at (mg.g

-1) represents 
the instanteneous adsorption capacity; the 
amount of the polutant which is adsorbed 
on the mass unit of the adsorbent at a time. 
AES –ICP was used for analysis of the 
alluminium content in the biomass samples 
and in media after the mineralisation. 
Results are shown in Table 5.  

According to the results presented by 
Table 5 it is obvious that considering the 
biomass growth (1,8-2,0 g) of the 
experimental samples and the growth of 
control samples, the growth of 
experimental samples was not inhibited 
(2,1 g) in fact.  
Initial pH value 4.5 of the growing solution 
has been changed in all the samples, during 
the cultivation.  
Whereas the control medium stayed at the 
acidic reaction pH 5.2 during and also after 
the experiment, the pH value of the 
experiment samples has increased up to the 
neutral positions of pH spectrum (6.9-7.8). 
This fact may mean an active defence of 
Penicillium glabrum against a toxic effect 
of the alluminium, as it is known that in 
general the toxicity is being significantly 
decreased in neutral environment.  
The differencies between the 
concentrations of the alluminium that is 
being added to experimental samples from 
adulterated stock solution and the 
measured alluminium concentrations can 
be explained by higher sensitivity and 
accuracy of the measuring device and 
AES-ICP method (in consideration with 
the other used and trace concentrations of 
the alluminium in used chemicals – were 
not included in added dose). 

We noticed an non-inhibited growth of 
Penicillium glabrum in our laboratory 
experiments. This growth was noticed in 
a total testing range of high Al2(SO4)3 
concentrations, see (Tab.5) and in fact its 
complete (100%) sorption on a mycelia 
biomass. It is an interesting finding, in 
regard to the general knowledge, that 
alluminium is toxical when it is presented 
at the higher concentrations.

 

 



Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 
Volume XIV, Issue  1  – 2015 

 
 

 
D a n ka  B AR L O KO VÁ ,  J án I L AVS K Ý ,  E l eo nór a  F R AN K O V Á,  T o máš  M OL NÁ R ,  C om pa r i s o n o f  
a l u m i n u m  s o r p ti o n u s i n g i n or g a ni c a nd  o rg a ni c n a t ur a l  s or b e n t s ,  F o od  and E n v ir o nme nt  S af e t y,  
V o lu me  X IV ,  Is s ue 1  – 20 1 5,  p ag .  5 8  - 6 6  

64 
 

Table 5 
Alluminium accumulation in a biomass of Penicillium glabrum   

 SAMPLES 
Control 1 2 3 4 5 

G
ro

w
in

g 
 

m
ed

iu
m

 

Before the inoculation pH  4.5 ± 0.1 
After the cultivation pH 5.2 6.9 7.2 7.3 7.8 7.5 

A
l 2(

S
O

4)
3 added [mg.l

-1] Al 0 1000 500 250 125 65 
Measured after kultivation 
v [mg.l-1 ] Al 0 ± 3.6 

B
io

m
as

a 

Total dry mass [g] pri 105 ºC 2.10 1.90 1.89 1.80 2.00 1.95 
Dose of dry mass for analysis 0.232 0.244 0.253 0.232 0.189 0.195 
Al  [mg.l-1]  measured 2.867 141.4 78.83 38.78 13.75 8.341 
Al  [mg.l-1]  adsorbed from the 
solution and adjusted for total 
biomass 

4.5 1007 506 259 128 67 

 
Fig. 2  Alluminium content in the biomass, method of AES analysis with inductance-coupled plasma as the 
driving source, after the mineralisation of the samples (1-5) in hydrogen nitrate in high-pressure 
decomposition system HPA-S company A. PAAR (Austria). 
 

 
Fig. 3. Alluminium content in growing media no.1 and no.2, after the grown biomass separation, 
determined by AES-ICP method and the consideration with the standard and blank 
 



Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 
Volume XIV, Issue  1  – 2015 

 
 

 
D a n ka  B AR L O KO VÁ ,  J án I L AVS K Ý ,  E l eo nór a  F R AN K O V Á,  T o máš  M OL NÁ R ,  C om pa r i s o n o f  
a l u m i n u m  s o r p ti o n u s i n g i n or g a ni c a nd  o rg a ni c n a t ur a l  s or b e n t s ,  F o od  and E n v ir o nme nt  S af e t y,  
V o lu me  X IV ,  Is s ue 1  – 20 1 5,  p ag .  5 8  - 6 6  

65 
 

  
Although many of the authors in Slovakia 
and abroad deal with the sorbtion 
characteristics of filamentous 
micromycets, especially in terms of the 
case of heavy metals and cations of the 
toxic and radioactive elements [24,25]. 
 
4. Conclusion 

 
At this experiment work was tested two 
natural sorption materials of inorganic and 
organic origin in removal of aluminium 
from water. Sorption capacity of natural 
zeolite – clinoptilolite was compared with 
sorption capacity of organic material  
Penicilliumglabrum, one of the worldwide 
species. Adsorption tests were studied for 
different initial concentrations of the 
aluminum in water. Clinoptiloliteachieved 
93 % efficiency after two hours of contact  
with water containing aluminium, 
Penicilliumglabrum needed longer time – 
from seven7 to 9 days to achieve 100% 
efficiency. Results obtained from 
laboratory experiments shown, that both 
tested materialsclinoptilolite and 
Penicilliumglabrumeffectively removed 
aluminium from water.  
 

5. References 
[1] WHO: Environmental Health Criteria 194, 

Aluminium. Geneva, 1997 
[2] BECARIA A., CAMPBELL A., BONDY 

S.C. Aluminium as a toxicant. Toxicology 
and Industrial Health 18, 309 (2002). 

[3] BARABASZ W., ALBIŃSKA D., 
JAŚKOWSKA M., LIPIEC J. Ecotoxi-
cology of Aluminium. J. of Environ. Studies 
11 (3), 199 (2002). 

[4] TOTTEN, G. E.; MACKENZIE, D. S. 
Handbook of Aluminum. Marcel Dekker. p. 
724. (2003).   

[5] CABALLERO B., ALLEN L., PRENKICE 
A. Aluminium. Encyklopedia of Human 
Nutrition, 2006.  

[6] WHO: Aluminium in Drinking-water. 
Background document for development of 
WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water 
Quality, WHO/SDE/ WSH/03.04/53 (2003). 

[7] HELMBOLDT O., HUDSON L.K.: 
Aluminum Compounds, Inorganic. 
Ullmann´s Encyclopedia of Industrial 
Chemistry. Wiley-VCH, p. 527 (2007). 

[8] BANKS W.A., KASTIN A.J. Aluminum-
induced neurotoxicity: alterations in 
membrane function at the blood–brain 
barrier. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 13(1), 47–
53 (1989). 

[9] FERREIRA P.C, PIAI K.A., 
TAKAYANAGUI A.M., SEGURA-
MUÑOZ S.I. Aluminum as a risk factor for 
Alzheimer's disease. Rev. Lat. Am. 
enfermagem 16, 151 (2008). 

[10] GITELMAN H. J. Physiology of aluminum 
in man. In: Aluminum and Health, CRC 
Press, p. 90, (1988). 

[11] YOKEL R.A., HICKS C.L., FLORENCE 
R.L. Aluminum bioavailability from basic 
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Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 
Volume XIV, Issue  1  – 2015 

 
 

 
D a n ka  B AR L O KO VÁ ,  J án I L AVS K Ý ,  E l eo nór a  F R AN K O V Á,  T o máš  M OL NÁ R ,  C om pa r i s o n o f  
a l u m i n u m  s o r p ti o n u s i n g i n or g a ni c a nd  o rg a ni c n a t ur a l  s or b e n t s ,  F o od  and E n v ir o nme nt  S af e t y,  
V o lu me  X IV ,  Is s ue 1  – 20 1 5,  p ag .  5 8  - 6 6  

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