Abstract
Heavy metals are well-known environmental pollutants due to their toxicity, persistence in the environment, and bioaccumulative nature. Their natural sources include weathering of metal-bearing rocks and volcanic eruptions, while anthropogenic sources include mining and various industrial and agricultural activities. Mining and industrial processing for extraction of mineral resources and their subsequent applications for industrial, agricultural, and economic development has led to an increase in the mobilization of these elements in the environment and disturbance of their biogeochemical cycles. Contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems with toxic heavy metals is an environmental problem of public health concern. Being persistent pollutants, heavy metals accumulate in the environment and consequently contaminate the food chains. Accumulation of potentially toxic heavy metals in biota causes a potential health threat to their consumers including humans. This article comprehensively reviews the different aspects of heavy metals as hazardous materials with special focus on their environmental persistence, toxicity for living organisms, and bioaccumulative potential. The bioaccumulation of these elements and its implications for human health are discussed with a special coverage on fish, rice, and tobacco. The article will serve as a valuable educational resource for both undergraduate and graduate students and for researchers in environmental sciences. Environmentally relevant most hazardous heavy metals and metalloids include Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg, and As. The trophic transfer of these elements in aquatic and terrestrial food chains/webs has important implications for wildlife and human health. It is very important to assess and monitor the concentrations of potentially toxic heavy metals and metalloids in different environmental segments and in the resident biota. A comprehensive study of the environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology of hazardous heavy metals and metalloids shows that steps should be taken to minimize the impact of these elements on human health and the environment.
Highlights
Environmental pollution is one of the major challenges in the modern human society [1]
Is article comprehensively reviews the different aspects of heavy metals as hazardous materials with a special focus on their environmental persistence, toxicity for living organisms, and bioaccumulative potential. e bioaccumulation of these elements and its implications for human health are discussed with a special coverage on fish, rice, and tobacco. e article will serve as a valuable educational resource for both undergraduate and graduate students and for researchers in environmental sciences
We have proposed a broader definition for the term, and heavy metals have been defined as “naturally occurring metals having atomic number greater than 20 and an elemental density greater than 5 g·cm−3” [17]
Summary
Environmental pollution is one of the major challenges in the modern human society [1]. Environmental contamination and pollution by heavy metals is a threat to the environment and is of serious concern [2, 3]. Higher levels of heavy metals in biota can have negative effects on the ecological health of aquatic animal species and may contribute to declines in their populations [10]. Heavy metals have been found associated with fish deformities in both natural populations and in the laboratory Such deformities have negative effects on fish populations because deformities affect their survival, growth rates, welfare, and external image. Ese deformities in fish can serve as excellent biomarkers of environmental heavy metal pollution [12]. Is article comprehensively reviews the different aspects of heavy metals as hazardous materials with a special focus on their environmental persistence, toxicity for living organisms, and bioaccumulative potential. Is article comprehensively reviews the different aspects of heavy metals as hazardous materials with a special focus on their environmental persistence, toxicity for living organisms, and bioaccumulative potential. e bioaccumulation of these elements and its implications for human health are discussed with a special coverage on fish, rice, and tobacco. e article will serve as a valuable educational resource for both undergraduate and graduate students and for researchers in environmental sciences
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