A review on heavy metal accumulation and toxicity in biotic and abiotic components

Abstract

Pollutants in the environment remains to be a global issue and among the greatest challenges confronting mankind. Among the various kinds of pollutants, heavy metals have drawn a lot of attention owing to their toxicity. Heavy metals are recognized to be naturally existing, however they are introduced in considerable quantities in many environmental compartments due to anthropogenic activities. When added into the atmosphere eventually these find their way back to the ground, contaminating soils and water. These metals enter into the plant system through a variety of physiological mechanisms, affecting plant growth and development. The possible entry of these elements into the ecosystem has been attributed to the increased levels of heavy metals in the ecosystem through direct intake from polluted soils, vegetables grown on polluted soils, or drinking wastewater that has infiltrated through such soils. Heavy metal accumulation arises when vegetable crops are grown in an environment contaminated with heavy metal, further entering and magnifying in the food chain. Human health is jeopardised by the presence and consumption of potentially harmful heavy metals in biota and groundwater. Heavy metal exposure can cause a number of serious human health implications, including kidney disease, respiratory problems, neurological disorders, and cancer. These heavy metals have an impact not merely on plants and humans, but also on soil health, water sources, soil nutrient status, and other aquatic organisms. These are irreversibly introduced in the environment since they cannot be degraded and are typically present in trace amounts, yet even at low levels, many of them can be harmful. The increased levels of heavy metals in the environment are hence currently prompting increased concern and need improvised remedial measures.

The Concentration of the Potentially Toxic Metals in Human Hair, Nails, Urine, Blood, and Air, and Their Impact on Human Health: A Review

“…Psoriasis is also due to the accumulation of nickel. Prolonged exposure to nickel enhances the chances of developing carcinoma of the nose, lung, larynx, and prostate (Kaur et al, 2021;Genchi et al, 2020;Buxton et al, 2019). The threshold concentration of Ni in drinking water is 0.02-0.1 mg/L, and in air, it is 0.38 ug/m 3 .…”

RESÍDUOS ELETRÔNICOS: Efeitos na saúde humana, impacto ambiental e potencial econômico

“…Os metais podem entrar no corpo de um organismo diretamente do ambiente abiótico, ou seja, água, sedimentos e solo, ou podem entrar no corpo de um organismo a partir de seus alimentos. A concentração de um metal pode aumentar ou diminuir ao longo de sucessivos níveis tróficos em uma cadeia alimentar, a retenção de metais pesados no corpo de um organismo depende de muitos fatores como a especiação do metal em questão e os mecanismos fisiológicos desenvolvidos pelo organismo para a regulação, homeostasia e desintoxicação do metal pesado (KAUR et al, 2021). Os seres humanos são expostos a metais tóxicos no meio ambiente por diferentes vias, incluindo ingestão, inalação e absorção dérmica, sendo pessoas nos países em desenvolvimento mais expostas a metais tóxicos.…”

Health benefits and health risks of contaminated fish consumption: Current research outputs, research approaches, and perspectives

“…Mercury is a heavy metal and well-known toxic environmental contaminant that can accumulate in fish tissue and pose risks to human health when consumed in excess. It is a naturally occurring element that can be found in rocks, soil, and water [ 47 ] and in marine ecosystem [ 48 ]. In nature, mercury exists in three forms, elemental, inorganic and organic [ 40 ].…”