Effects on Human health
Heavy metal toxicity can result in damaged or reduced mental and central
nervous function, lower energy levels, and damage
to blood composition, lungs, kidneys, liver and other vital
organs(Zevenhoven and Kilpinen
2001; Nies, 2003).Effects of heavy
metals on human health are most extensively studied and regularly
reviewed by international bodies such as the WHO. Long-term exposure may
result in slowly progressing physical, muscular and neurological
degenerative processes that mimic Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s
disease, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis. Health concern
related to heavy metals might be mainly divided into two types, i.e.
heavy metal poisoning caused by excessive extrinsic exposure and genetic
disorders such as Wilson disease. Acute and chronic arsenic toxicity, as
well as arsine gas toxicity involves adverse impacts on the nervous,
cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal,
hematopoietic, immunological and dermatologic systems. It is generally
accepted that food crops grown on cadmium containing soils or soils
naturally rich in this metal are the major source of exposure to humans
(Shukla and Singhal, 1984).Some
metals are toxic at low concentrations also e.g. Arsenic, mercury, lead
and thallium (Kimberlie et
al., 1998; Järup, 2003).