It’s easy to take things for granted and never consider everything involved. Certainly, no one stays up at night wondering what everyday items contain aluminum, so we will help you understand where some of our favorite things come from.
Rub Some Aluminum on It: Medications
Whenever you pick up a medication from your local drug store, the pharmacist always asks if you have any questions about the medication. Most of us decline the invitation and pop our pills without knowing what’s in the thing we are taking. But maybe it would give some people pause if they learned that there were traces of aluminum in various medications.
There are more than a handful of medications that contain aluminum. Some are useful for skin conditions, while others help control gastroesophageal reflux. It’s strange to think that small amounts of aluminum can cure poison ivy, but that’s what’s happening. There’s no reason to worry about it since having these aluminum compounds in medicine is safe.
Hold the Phone: Smartphones
There isn’t an item in our hands more than our phone, so there isn’t a day that goes by that you are not handling a product that contains aluminum. There are approximately 22 grams of aluminum in a smartphone, beating out copper and plastic as the most common material in your phone. Manufacturers settled on aluminum as their primary metal material for producing smartphones because they are cost-effective, recyclable, and far more corrosion-resistant than its counterparts.
So Fresh and So Clean: Antiperspirants
No one wants to be the smelly person in the room, causing us to opt for some form of antiperspirant to keep us smelling fresh as a daisy. However, aluminum particles found in antiperspirants could cause some issues.
Firstly, most of us use deodorant and antiperspirant interchangeably, but they are different. The purpose behind each product is in their name: deodorants reduce odor, and antiperspirants limit how much your sweat.
Deodorants don’t contain aluminum, whereas antiperspirants do. The aluminum salts in antiperspirants block the pores which are typically responsible for sweating. Most problems with antiperspirants happen for women, most notably those carrying a child. Researchers have tried numerous studies on the premise of aluminum being harmful in antiperspirants without finding a conclusive result—but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
The Bombs Bursting in Air: Fireworks
Everyone loves summer fireworks. There’s something about blowing things up that makes people feel omnipotent, leading many to spend hundreds of dollars on fireworks.
We see our sky art because aluminum powder turns to flash powder, which gives fireworks their silver and white glow. Additionally, the aluminum powder is behind the thunderous roars that fireworks produce. So, next time you want to lose it on your neighbors for lighting a Roman candle at 1:00 am, you can blame aluminum.
Going on a Trip in Our Favorite Rocket Ship: Space Exploration
While we stretch the term “everyday items” when mentioning space gear, it’s too interesting to pass up. The airplane and car industries love aluminum because of its durability and effectiveness. Thus, NASA jumped in on the fun and began relying on the precious alloy. Without aluminum metal sheets in putting the space rover Curiosity on Mars, we may not be able to explore space.
These everyday items you didn’t know contained aluminum prove that there’s more to this great metal besides building appliances and keeping the fizz in our sodas.
