A NORTH-EAST worker who died of Alzheimer’s disease was found to have high levels of aluminium in the brain, according to researchers.

Researchers at Keele University said this is the first time scientists have been able to link an individual who was exposed to aluminium at work and died of Alzheimer’s disease with high levels of aluminium in the brain.

While aluminium is a known neurotoxin and occupational exposure to aluminium has been implicated in neurological disease, including Alzheimer’s disease, this finding is believed to be the first record of a direct link between Alzheimer’s disease and increased brain aluminium following occupational exposure to the metal.

In 2003 a 58-year-old unidentified male from the North-East was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Ten years earlier, he began to work with a material used as insulation in the nuclear fuel and space industries.

This exposed him to aluminium sulphate ‘dust’ on a daily basis over eight years.

A dust mask was supplied to protect against inhalation of the materials but within a short time of starting this work the man complained of headaches, tiredness and mouth ulcers.

By 1999 he started to have memory problems and depression.

Following his death, aged 66, in 2011, an examination confirmed advance stage Alzheimer’s disease. There followed the most comprehensive investigation ever of the aluminium content of the frontal lobe of a single individual with 49 different tissue samples being measured for aluminium.

Professor Chris Exley, of The Birchall Centre, at Keele University, said: “The results showed unequivocally that the frontal lobe contained an average aluminium content which was at least four times higher than might be expected."