Heavy metals are ranked as highly toxic elements in the environment

Heavy metals can enter a water supply by industrial and consumer waste, or even from acidic rain
breaking down soils and releasing heavy metals into streams, lakes, rivers, and groundwater.

Read more: https://www.lenntech.com/processes/heavy/heavy-metals/heavy-

metals.htm#ixzz5HvWgXZ6l

The three most pollutans heavy metals are Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury.

Read more: https://www.lenntech.com/processes/heavy/heavy-metals/heavy-

metals.htm#ixzz5HvWrsXwF
Toxic heavy metals are associated with several diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s
disease, mental retardation (MR) and other congenital (inborn-developmental) defects, depression,
diabetes, heart disease, cancer, asthma, autism, candidiasis, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, hypertension,
infertility, sleep disorders, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disorders, liver disease, kidney disorders and the
long list goes on. ( Dr. Zung Rosita Vu (Dzung Price))
1. Mercury

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers mercury as one of the top ten chemicals that are a major
public health concern. This heavy metal is toxic to the nervous system (brain, nerves), kidneys, lungs, skin,
eyes, immune and digestive system.

When you are exposed to mercury, you often have unexplained headaches, dizziness, drowsiness,
difficulty sleeping (insomnia), tremors, vomiting, sudden weight loss, loss of appetite, metallic taste in
mouth, declining sense of smell, swelling gums, stomatitis, blue line on gums, body weakness, and loss
of muscle coordination. Some people complain for digestive problems, difficulty chewing and swallowing.

Mercury exposure also causes high blood pressure, depression, fatigue, anemia, memory loss, kidney
failure, anxiety, blindness, nerve damage, dermatitis and psychosis. This toxic metal also causes
abnormal nervous and physical development of the fetus during pregnancy resulting in birth defects.

Moreover, the dangers of the mercury made healthcare facilities ban the use of the medical mercury
thermometer. However, little did we know that there are more sources of mercury exposure.

Do you have a silver or amalgam dental filling? This is a primary source of exposure to mercury these
days. Amalgam dental filling is a mixture of liquid mercury and other metals—mostly 50% mercury. Every
time you chew, your dental fillings release tiny particles of mercury, which your tooth roots, mucous
membranes of the mouth, gums and stomach lining may absorb.

You may also get exposed to mercury when eating contaminated shellfish, saltwater and freshwater fish
and in drinking tap water. Other sources of exposure are air pollution, batteries, cosmetics, electrical
devices and relays, explosives, grains sprayed with pesticides, fluorescent lights, mining, paints, and
insecticides.

2. Lead
Lead toxicity is widely known for its detrimental effect in children. According to the World Health
Organization, children absorb lead 4-5 times more than adults do, which makes them more vulnerable.
This heavy metal targets the brain (nervous system), bones, liver, kidneys and pancreas.
Exposure to high concentration of lead even just for one minute is quite dangerous as this heavy metal is
a neurotoxin, meaning it attacks the neurons (brain cells). Such exposure may result in convulsion, coma
and even death. It also causes mental retardation, reduced IQ level, and attention deficit disorder. For
pregnant women, lead exposure may result in minor birth defects, low birth weight infants, premature
birth, stillbirth or miscarriage.

If you are suffering from persistent abdominal pain, bone pain, constipation, convulsions, dizziness,
headaches, indigestion, loss of appetite, irritability, loss of muscle coordination, memory problems,
muscle pains, tremors, vomiting and body weakness, then you might have been exposed to lead. Anemia
is also a common health problem caused by lead exposure.

How are we exposed to lead? There are a lot of lead-containing materials in the environment—either we
ingest or inhale lead from these sources.

The most popular sources are leaded gasoline and paints. Another dangerous source that parents must
watch out for is rubber toys. Sometimes we just don’t mind seeing kids chew or suck these toys, as kids
are kids, and doing such things seems part of everybody’s childhood. But mind you, lead from these toys
can be enough to poison your child.

Moreover, water pipes also expose us to lead, particularly when plumbers use lead solder in joining
copper pipes. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported in 1989 that over 1
million schools (elementary, high school and colleges) have lead-lined water storage tanks and drinking
fountains.

Air pollution, bathtubs (steel, porcelain or cast iron), batteries, canned foods, hair dyes, leaded glass,
pesticides, pottery, solder, tobacco smoke, vinyl ‘mini-blinds’, colored advertisements and newsprint,
cosmetics, chemical fertilizers, dust, foods grown around industrial areas, ceramics, soft coal, and tap
water are other common sources of lead that we encounter daily.

3. Cadmium

More toxic than lead and mercury is another heavy metal—cadmium.

Cadmium toxicity vastly affects the brain, heart, blood vessels, kidneys and lungs. This toxic metal is a
top contributing factor to the development of major killer diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart
disease. It can damage your liver and even cause kidney stone formation. Cadmium exposure weakens
your resistance to other diseases as well, as it depresses your immune system response. It causes
hypertension, anemia, emphysema, skin problems, hair loss, joint pain, back and leg pain, teeth
discoloration, loss of appetite and declining sense of smell.

The primary sources of cadmium toxicity are foods. Many areas where rice and wheat are grown may be
contaminated with super phosphate fertilizers and sewage sludge, which are high in cadmium content.

Tuna, haddock, codfish and other large saltwater fish have high cadmium concentration in their tissues
too. Refined and processed foods like instant coffee, cola drinks, refined grains and processed meats are
sources of cadmium exposure as well. Even the PVC pipes use for water supplies expose our drinking
water to cadmium. Other sources of this toxic metal are art supplies, cigarette smoke, air pollution,
mining, incinerators, paints, power plants, smelting plants, welding fumes, and nickel-cadmium batteries.

https://beyondgoodhealthclinics.com.au/top-3-heavy-metals-make-keep-you-sick/
Analyzing the metals in our environmental watersis important because many heavy metals pose a
serious threat to our health. Among the WHO’s 10 chemicals of major Public Health concern, four
are metal or metalloid: arsenic (metalloid), cadmium, lead, and mercury. Because of their toxicity,
they are also listed in the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. (Liu et. al., 2015 )

http://analyteguru.com/top-four-toxic-metals-in-water-facts-and-testing/
Severe effects include reduced growth and development, cancer, organ damage, nervous system
damage, and in extreme cases, death. Exposure to some metals, such as mercury and lead, may also
cause development of autoimmunity, in which a person's immune system attacks its own cells. This
can lead to joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and diseases of the kidneys, circulatory
system, and nervous system.

The young are more prone to the toxic effects of heavy metals, as the rapidly developing body
systems in the fetus, infants and young children are far more sensitive. Childhood exposure to some
metals can result in learning difficulties, memory impairment, damage to the nervous system, and
behavioural problems such as aggressiveness and hyperactivity. At higher doses, heavy metals can
cause irreversible brain damage. Children may receive higher doses of metals from food than adults,
since they consume more food for their body weight than adults.

Where do they come from?

Toxic metals can be present in industrial, municipal, and urban runoff, which can be harmful to
humans and aquatic life. Increased urbanization and industrialization are to blame for an increased
level of trace metals, especially heavy metals, in our waterways. There are over 50 elements that can
be classified as heavy metals, 17 of which are considered to be both very toxic and relatively
accessible. Toxicity levels depend on the type of metal, it's biological role, and the type of organisms
that are exposed to it.

The heavy metals linked most often to human poisoning are lead, mercury, arsenicand cadmium.
Other heavy metals, including copper, zinc, and chromium, are actually required by the body in small
amounts, but can also be toxic in larger doses.

Heavy metals in the environment are caused by air emissions from coal-burning plants, smelters, and
other industrial facilities; waste incinerators; process wastes from mining and industry; and lead in
household plumbing and old house paints. Industry is not totally to blame, as heavy metals can
sometimes enter the environment through natural processes. For example, in some parts of the U.S.,
naturally occurring geologic deposits of arsenic can dissolve into groundwater, potentially resulting in
unsafe levels of this heavy metal in drinking water supplies in the area. Once released to the
environment, metals can remain for decades or centuries, increasing the likelihood of human
exposure.

In addition to drinking water, we can be exposed to heavy metals through inhalation of air pollutants,
exposure to contaminated soils or industrial waste, or consumption of contaminated food. Because of
contaminated water, food sources such as vegetables, grains, fruits, fish and shellfish can also become
contaminated by accumulating metals from the very soil and water it grows from.

https://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education/quality-water-heavymeatal.htm

"Heavy metals" are chemical elements with a specific gravity that is at least 5 times the
specific gravity of water. The specific gravity of water is 1 at 4°C (39°F). Simply stated,
specific gravity is a measure of density of a given amount of a solid substance when it is
compared to an equal amount of water. Some well-known toxic metallic elements with a
specific gravity that is 5 or more times that of water are arsenic, 5.7; cadmium, 8.65; iron,
7.9; lead, 11.34; and mercury, 13.546 (Lide 1992).
http://www.purewaterservices.co.nz/contaminants/other-contaminants-issues/heavy-metals

What is Heavy Metal Toxicity?

The human body needs some metals to sustain certain organ functions. These metals that are significant
to human health are known as essential trace metals. The two essential trace metals that you might often
hear of are iron and zinc; there are more on the list though. Iron helps in hemoglobin formation, the
component of the red blood cells (RBCs) that transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissues all around
the body and is significant in preventing anemia. Meanwhile, zinc is important for the enzyme reactions,
which are necessary for various metabolic activities.
On the other hand, there are metals that are not needed in any bodily function and are considered
toxic known as heavy metals or toxic metals. The body cannot metabolize (process) these
heavy metals, but they are passed up the food chain to humans (bio-accumulative).
Once the amount of heavy metals in the body tissues reach a toxic level, you will experience heavy metal
toxicity.This condition happens either due to an acute exposure to a high concentration of heavy metals
or chronic exposure to a low concentration, which allowed the toxic metals to accumulate over time.

The top three heavy metals that are discreetly causing various diseases these days are mercury,
cadmium and lead. Here are the sources and health effects of these top three heavy metals. ( Dr. Zung
Rosita Vu (Dzung Price))

https://beyondgoodhealthclinics.com.au/top-3-heavy-metals-make-keep-you-sick/

Lead
Public Citizen

Lead is a toxic metal whose widespread use has caused extensive environmental contamination and health
problems in many parts of the world. It is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems, including the
neurologic, hematologic, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal systems. Children are particularly vulnerable
to the neurotoxic effects of lead, and even relatively low levels of exposure can cause serious and in some cases
irreversible neurological damage.
Recent reductions in the use of lead in petrol, paint, plumbing and solder have resulted in a substantial
reductions in population-level mean blood lead concentrations. However, significant sources of exposure still
remain, particularly in developing countries.
Further efforts are required to continue to reduce the use and releases of lead and to reduce environmental and
occupational exposures, particularly for children and women of child-bearing age. Interventions include
eliminating non-essential uses of lead such as lead in paint, ensuring the safe recycling of lead-containing waste,
educating the public about the importance of safe disposal of lead-acid batteries and computers, and monitoring
of blood lead levels in children, women of child-bearing age and workers. (WHO)

The Chemistry of Heavy Metal Poisons

Heavy metals are transition metals found in the middle of the periodic table that are of
environmental or physiological concern. The most important heavy metals that can be
and have been used as poisons are lead(Pb), mercury(Hg), arsenic(As), cadmium(Cd),
and iron(Fe).
The toxic effects produced by heavy metals are accomplished by binding to one or
more reactive groups essential for normal physiological functions.

Mechanism of action of heavy metal toxicity

Of the four, Hg is highly toxic in its elemental form while the others are more
dangerous in their cation forms (Pb2+ or Pb4+; Cd2+; As3+). This is because in their
ionic forms they become soluble in water and are more easily transported in the body.

The metal cations have a strong affinity for �SH (sulfhydryl) Groups which are
found in proteins (muscles in the body) and enzymes. These metals bind to the
enzymes preventing them from working properly, stopping or altering their metabolic
process.

Mercury is a metal that is a liquid at room temperature. It has three highly toxic
forms: elemental (Hg liquid or vapor), compounds of inorganic salts (e.g. Hg(NO3)2,
and organometallics (e.g. CH3Hg).

Mercury can enter the body by a number of different methods:

 Inhalation
 Ingestion
 Absorption through the skin (organomercury)

Mercury ions produce toxic effects by protein precipitation, enzyme inhibition, and
generalized corrosive action. Mercury not only binds to sulfhydryl groups but also to
phosphoryl (-PO3-), carboxyl (-COOH), amide (R-N-R), and amine (-NH2) groups.
Proteins (including enzymes) with such groups readily available are susceptible to
reaction with mercury. Once bound to mercury, most proteins are rendered inactive.

In the simplest terms, mercury binds irreversibly to an enzyme (proteins that create
molecules) changing its conformation and preventing its normal substrate (molecule it
works on) from binding.
Lead

Lead is not dangerous in its elemental form but rather when it forms ions (Pb2+,
Pb4+)making it soluble. Lead is normally ingested through contaminated water or
food.

Lead can interfere with the normal operation of hemoglobin, adversely affect the
Central Nervous System (CNS) and causes developmental issues in children.

Lead affects the production of Heme by binding to and blocking the enzyme ALA-D.
The reduced amount of Heme (the oxygen carrying molecule in blood) leads to
anemia. As the amount of lead increases in concentration further damage is done to
the circulatory system eventually leading to CNS damage and death.

Cadmium

Cadmium (Cd) is a metal found in Coal and released into the environment as coal is
burned. Cadmium is most toxic in its ionic form Cd2+. The normal pathway by which
cadmium finds its way into the body is through consumption. As long as
concentrations remain low, some intake of cadmium is normal and acceptable. Acute
concentrations, however lead to severe joint pain, bone diseases and kidney problems.

Cadmium acts as a poison by a number of pathways:

1. It acts like a catalyst to increase the formation of peroxides (O22-) in the body.
Peroxides are damaging to tissues and organs.
2. It stimulates the production of molecules known as cytokines. These
molecules cause inflammation (swelling).
3. It can modulate gene expression and hamper chromosomal signal
transduction.

Arsenic

Arsenic oxides were the common poisons used for murder and suicide from roman
times through to the middle ages.
Arsenic, which often is described as tasting like bitter almonds, is generally taken into
the body by consumption or inhalation from smoke.

Arsenic kills by disrupting the biochemical pathways in the body that produce ATP.
As we saw earlier, ATP is an energy molecule that is necessary for the energy that
runs the majority of the body's respiratory system. Arsenic both blocks and competes
with the chemicals that form ATP, leaving the body depleted of what it needs to keep
up even the most basic cellular processes.

The lack of ATP will cause massive neurological and cardiovascular distress. In
sufficient concentrations the arsenic will eventually cause multi-system organ failure,
most likely from cell apoptosis and hemorrhaging, and then death. (Dr. Stephanie R.
Dillon)

https://www.chem.fsu.edu/chemlab/chm1020c/Lecture%2010/02.php