“…Water pollution by heavy metals (e.g., Pb, Cu, Cd, Co, Cr, Zn, Ni) is a major environmental problem that poses severe hazards for both animal and human lives 1 , 2 . Exposure to these toxic metals may cause anemia, brain damage, liver and kidney diseases, interruption of vitamin D metabolism in children, and in serious cases, death 3 – 5 . The primary origins of heavy metals are milling, textiles, mining, pigments, plastics, electroplating, metallurgical processes, and surface finishing industries 6 , 7 .…”