Abstract
Innumerable human activities including domestic, industrial, transportation, as well as extraction of mineral resources result in heavy metal contamination in both soil and water ecosystems. Dumping solid wastes along with emissions from vehicles, in the past years, has become a serious environmental problem worldwide. Soil contamination with heavy metals such as arsenic, chromium, copper, cadmium, nickel, lead, and zinc can lead to toxic effects in plants, humans, and other organisms that play a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance. The presence of such contaminants can threaten various living forms including humans because heavy metals can accumulate in food chains and can further cause different types of toxicities, viz., mutagenicity: induction of mutations (genetic alterations) by a physical or chemical agents; genotoxicity: damaging effects on DNA causing variations in its integrity; cytotoxicity: alteration in functioning of a living cell by chemical pollutants; teratogenicity: causing malformations in developing embryo or fetus; and last but not least, oxidative stress: effecting or altering various biochemical reactions.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
