I have a glass food container (borosilicate) and I learned that it has some aluminum oxide within the glass (the aluminum makes up 1-2% of the weight, I estimate). While glass is supposed to be more inert and safe than plastic, should I be concerned about the possible health risks of any aluminum leeching into stored food?
Aluminum metal make react with food stuffs, particularly aqueous solutions, and the Al can dissolve as various complexes. But once aluminum has been oxidized it is chemically inert. Aluminum oxide as a mineral is corundum (which is also sapphire and ruby) and is used in lots of industrial applications -- particularly as high-temperature components. It is essentially totally insoluble in water and requires much energy to be reduced to Al. In glass it is somewhat less inert but still is essentially unreactive. Borosilicate glass is much much safer than plastic. But make sure it is borosilicate glass. Hard liquor will, for example, leach Pb from lead crystal.
