Heavy Metal Toxicity In Public Health

It is often said that the “dosage” of any substance determines its remedy or poison effect. Heavy metal sources encompass sewage, pesticides, fertilizers, environmental contamination, occupational exposure/contact through inhalation, ingestion, and skin. Before the advent of technology/the industrial revolution, communicable diseases ravaged the human race but this seems to have given way to non-communicable diseases such as cancers, renal failure, hormonal distortion enzymes, inhibition of fetal growth, and DNA damage causing negative health issues due to heavy metals. This book brings to the fore probably the most recent experimental research/review on heavy metal contamination, remediating techniques, cellular tissue damage, and toxicological and antioxidant effects of heavy metals. It is hoped that its contents will make interesting reading for all.

Over 400 years ago, Swiss alchemist and physician Paracelsus (1493-1541) cited: "All substances are poisons; there is none that is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy." This is often condensed to: "The dose makes the poison." So, why are we overtly anxious about intoxications?In fact, poisons became a global problem with the industrial revolution. Pesticides, asbestos, occupational chemicals, air pollution, and heavy metal toxicity maintain high priority worldwide, especially in developing countries. Children between 0 and 5 years old are the most vulnerable to both acute and chronic poisonings, while older adults suffer from the chronic effects of chemicals. This book aims to raise awareness about the challenges of poisons, to help clinicians understand current issues in toxicology.

The term “heavy metals” is used as a group name of toxic metals and metalloids (semimetals) causing contaminations and ecotoxicity. In strict chemical sense the density of heavy metals is higher than 5 g/cm3. From biological point of view as microelements they can be divided into two major groups. a. For their physiological function organisms and cells require essential microelements such as iron, chromium (III), cobalt, copper, manganese, molidenium, zinc. b. The other group of heavy metals is toxic to the health or environment. Of highest concern are the emissions of As, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl. The toxicity of heavy metals is well known at organizational level, while less attention has been paid to their cellular effects. This book describes the toxicity of heavy metals on microorganisms, yeast, plant and animal cells. Other chapters of the book deal with their genotoxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. The toxicity of several metals touch upon the aspects of environmental hazard, ecosystems and human health. Among the cellular responses of heavy metals irregularities in cellular mechanisms such as gene expression, protein folding, stress signaling pathways are among the most important ones. The final chapters deal with biosensors and removal of heavy metals. As everybody is eating, drinking and exposed to heavy metals on a daily basis, the spirit of the book will attract a wide audience.

Experts explore the influence of trace metals on the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Many parts of the world in which common infectious diseases are endemic also have the highest prevalence of trace metal deficiencies or rising rates of trace metal pollution. Infectious diseases can increase human susceptibility to adverse effects of metal exposure (at suboptimal or toxic levels), and metal excess or deficiency can increase the incidence or severity of infectious diseases. The co-clustering of major infectious diseases with trace metal deficiency or toxicity has created a complex web of interactions with serious but poorly understood health repercussions, yet has been largely overlooked in animal and human studies. This book focuses on the distribution, trafficking, fate, and effects of trace metals in biological systems. Its goal is to enhance our understanding of the relationships between homeostatic mechanisms of trace metals and the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Drawing on expertise from a range of fields, the book offers a comprehensive review of current knowledge on vertebrate metal-withholding mechanisms and the strategies employed by different microbes to avoid starvation (or poisoning). Chapters summarize current, state-of-the-art techniques for investigating pathogen-metal interactions and highlight open question to guide future research. The book makes clear that improving knowledge in this area will be instrumental to the development of novel therapeutic measures against infectious diseases. Contributors M. Leigh Ackland, Vahid Fa Andisi, Angele L. Arrieta, Michael A. Bachman, J. Sabine Becker, Robert E. Black, Julia Bornhorst, Sascha Brunke, Joseph A. Caruso, Jennifer S. Cavet, Anson C. K. Chan, Christopher H. Contag, Heran Darwin, George V. Dedoussis, Rodney R. Dietert, Victor J. DiRita, Carol A. Fierke, Tamara Garcia-Barrera, David P. Giedroc, Peter-Leon Hagedoorn, James A. Imlay, Marek J. Kobylarz, Joseph Lemire, Wenwen Liu, Slade A. Loutet, Wolfgang Maret, Andreas Matusch, Trevor F. Moraes, Michael E. P. Murphy, Maribel Navarro, Jerome O. Nriagu, Ana-Maria Oros-Peusquens, Elisabeth G. Pacyna, Jozef M. Pacyna, Robert D. Perry, John M. Pettifor, Stephanie Pfaffen, Dieter Rehder, Lothar Rink, Anthony B. Schryvers, Ellen K. Silbergeld, Eric P. Skaar, Miguel C. P. Soares, Kyrre Sundseth, Dennis J. Thiele, Richard B. Thompson, Meghan M. Verstraete, Gonzalo Visbal, Fudi Wang, Mian Wang, Thomas J. Webster, Jeffrey N. Weiser, Günter Weiss, Inga Wessels, Bin Ye, Judith T. Zelikoff, Lihong Zhang

This edited book brings together a diverse group of environmental science, sustainability, and health researchers to address the challenges posed by global mass poisoning caused by heavy metals contamination of soil and plants. In recent years, contamination of the environment by heavy metals has become a major concern. Their multiple industrial, domestic, agricultural, medical, and technological applications have led to their wide distribution in the environment, raising concerns over their potential effects on human health and the environment. Owing to their toxic, non-degradable, and bio-accumulative nature, the health burden on the population has increased significantly. Heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, and uranium do not play a significant role in metabolism in the human body and are thus toxic. Their exposure in high concentration can cause acute toxicity resulting in acute health conditions, which is easy to observe and regulate, while similar is not visible for immediate action when their exposure is in trace amounts over the years. Heavy metals enter in the food chain through consumption of plant material. A high concentration of heavy metals has been found to be harmful to vegetation. As the heavy metals concentration in plants increases, it adversely affects several biological parameters and eventually renders the soil barren. The book sheds light on this global environmental issue and proposes solutions to contamination through multi-disciplinary approaches and case studies from different parts of the world. This book is a valuable resource to students, academicians, researchers, and environmental professionals who are doing field work on heavy metals contamination throughout the world.

Essentials of Toxicology for Health Protection is a key handbook and course reader for all health protection professionals. It covers the basics of toxicology and its application to issues of topical concern including contaminated land, water pollution and traditional medicines.

Heavy metals and metalloids, singly or in combination, induce toxic manifestations either through acute or chronic pathology. In particular, long-term chronic exposure to diverse heavy metals and metalloids to humans and animals can lead to numerous physical, muscular, neurological, nephrological, and diverse degenerative diseases and dysfunctions, including multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, cardiovascular disorders, and several others. Recognized heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, thallium, and hexavalent chromium are known for enormous toxicity. The immediate vital signs of acute heavy metal exposure include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and acute abdominal pain. Mercury has been identified as the most toxic heavy metal, and mercury poisoning is known as acrodynia or pink disease. Similarly, lead, another toxic heavy metal, was at one time an integral part of painting. Metal Toxicology Handbook further explains and discusses the varying attributes of metals, discussing toxicity, safety, and proper human utilization of metals. Beginning with a broad overview of metals, metalloids, redox biology, and neurodegeneration and going further into the roles, benefits, and toxicity of metals with each section, the text contains 28 chapters from eminent researchers and scientists in their respective fields and is a must-have for anyone researching the potential toxicity in metals. Key Features Discusses the pathology of metal toxicity Highlights the benefits of metals Explains the mechanism and salient features of restoring metabolic homeostasis Highlights dose-dependent beneficial and adverse effects of vanadium safety and toxicity The initial introductory section provides a broad overview of metals, metalloids, redox biology, and neurodegeneration. The second section discusses the pathology of metal toxicity in two chapters, while the third section highlights the mechanism and salient features of restoring metabolic homeostasis in two chapters. The fourth section demonstrates the aspect of radionuclides toxicity. In a change of pace, the fifth section discusses the benefits of metals in four chapters. The sixth section, titled "Toxic Manifestations by Diverse Heavy Metals and Metalloids," provides fourteen chapters that discuss the toxicological mechanism and manifestation of individual metals. The editors have crafted a commentary titled "A Treatise on Metal Toxicity" and summarized a vivid scenario of metal toxicity and its consequences.

Heavy metals are persistent in the environment and their elevated emission during longer periods of time can cause contamination of the environment. They are emitted in all environmental media, but can also be easily transported between them due to the atmospheric deposition, water runoff, etc., and thus accumulate in the environment or penetrate the food chains. The main routes of human exposure to heavy metals are through ingestion, inhalation or via dermal contact. Hence, there is a need for better understanding of absorption, distribution and deposition of heavy metals in the human body. This information is of a crucial importance for the evaluation of heavy metal potential health implications. In this book, Chapter One provides an overview of the heavy metal health hazards, presented as a consequence of heavy metal pollution, their availability and cycling between different media in the environment. Chapter Two comprehensively discusses the roles and harmful effects of heavy metals on human health, as well as the sources and techniques of removing heavy metals from the environment. Chapter Three explores the mechanisms of mercury cardiovascular toxicity, with a particular emphasis on its effects toward endothelial cells. Chapter Four focuses on the effects of exposure to soil contaminated by metals. Chapter Five examines antimicrobial functionalized textiles. Chapter Six discusses thallium poisoning. Chapter Seven provides a review of heavy metal pollution, human exposure and public health implications in Nigeria.