Abstract
Heavy metals are important environmental pollutants, and their toxicity is a serious problem of great concern for environmental, ecological, nutritional and toxicological reasons. Metals can affected long list of physiological and biochemical processes in plants and their toxicity varies with plant species, particular metal, metal concentration and it chemical form. Throughout the world, researches have been conducted extensive investigations to determine the effects of toxic heavy metals on plants. The process is still going on and the need of intensification of the research programmes for better understanding of heavy metal toxicity is evident.
Highlights
According to the definition, a general term “heavy metals” applies to the group of metals and metalloids with atomic density is greater than 4 g/cm[3], or is 5 times or more, greater than water density (1)
Some of the heavy metals are bioaccumulative, they do not breakdown in the environment and they are not metabolized, which is the main reason for their accumulation in food chain at primary producers and at consumer levels
Heavy metals are important environmental pollutants, and their toxicity is a problem of great concern for environmental, ecological, nutritional and toxicological reasons
Summary
A general term “heavy metals” applies to the group of metals and metalloids with atomic density is greater than 4 g/cm[3], or is 5 times or more, greater than water density (1). There is an alternative classification of metals which is based on their coordination chemistry This classification categorizes heavy metals as class B metals that are non-essential trace elements and are highly toxic elements such as Hg, Ag, Pb, Cd and Ni. Some of the heavy metals are bioaccumulative, they do not breakdown in the environment and they are not metabolized, which is the main reason for their accumulation in food chain at primary producers (through the uptake of plants) and at consumer levels (through consumption). Any xenobiotic in the environment, which causes undesirable effects, impair the welfare of the environment, reduce the life quality and eventually cause death of different organisms is named as a pollutant (2). This kind of xenobiotics has to be present in the environment beyond tolerance limit. The comparison is made between the ranges of heavy metals observed in land plants (2) and regulatory standards for heavy metals in food and drinking water in different countries (5, 6)
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