The conference was the second of its kind to be held by Environmental Assistance to consider the effects of aluminium in drinking water on health and particularly on the incidence of Alzheimer's disease.

It was aimed at addressing the specific concerns of individuals affected by high concentrations of aluminium in their drinking water in Northern Ireland.

The impetus for the conference began with a letter received from Alderman Shannon of Ards Borough Council, requesting a scientific paper to assess the effects of the exposure to aluminium. Following the publication of this report by Environmental Assistance it was felt that some of the world's leading experts should offer an informed opinion to the local community in Northern Ireland.

• The problems of missing public health and scientific information
• Interpreting information to form a meaningful opinion of the problems
• The problems of co-ordinating group efforts with a defined strategy
• The possible effects of contaminated drinking water on local people

The conference concluded that meaningful research is required rather than the anecdotal evidence currently available.

Conference speakers:
Professor Daniel Perl Aluminium is truly ubiquitous, being the third most common element of the earth's crust ... Prof. Perl's CV | review Prof. Perl's paper
Professor John Savory Age-related hippocampal response to aluminum-induced neuronal injury in experimental animals ... Prof Savory's CV | Prof. Savory's paper
Dr Ursula Fogarty Chronic inflammatory disorders of the equine gastrointestinal tract ... Dr Fogarty's résumé and paper synopsys pdf [869kb] in a new window
Dr Chris Exley Aluminium is the principal antagonist in the death of fish in acid waters ... Dr Exley's CV | Dr Exlay's paper
Mr Edwin Graham Government policy that has enabled the development of community infrastructure ... Mr Graham's CV | Mr Graham's paper
Dr Virginie Rondeaux
Dr Kartar Badsha
Dr Brian Eggins