Heavy Metal Intoxication
Even at a very low level, heavy metal ions can cause serious health effects, including reduced growth and development, cancer, organ damage, nervous system damage, and in extreme cases, death. The most common heavy metal toxins are aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Once emitted from their sources, they have the property of accumulating in the environment for many years. They enter the human body through breathing, drinking, and skin absorption. They also can accumulate in the bodies of animals and humans before they even cause damage. The sources of heavy metal ions are diverse and specific to each element. Aluminum is mostly found in canned food, cookware, antacids, aluminum foils, and drinking water. Arsenic is encountered through air pollution and in drinking water, meat from commercial farms, and wood preservatives. Cadmium originates mainly from cigarette smoke, air pollution, batteries, fish, paint, and food grown in cadmiu scholarships for high school seniors m-laden soil. The major sources of lead are gasoline, house paints, lead pipes, mines, and batteries. “Silver” dental fillings constitute the most important source of mercury. Other sources of mercury are from gold mining and fish. In general, the increased use of coal favors exposure to major heavy metals. Here a pertinent question arises as to what then is the mode of action of heavy metal ions? The heavy metal ions form complexes with proteins, in which carboxylic acid (?COOH), amine (?NH2), and thiol (?SH) groups are involved. These modified biological molecules lose their ability to function properly and result in the malfunction or death of the cells. When metals bind to these groups, they inactivate important enzyme systems, or affect protein structure, which is linked to the catalytic properties of enzymes. This type of toxin may also cause the formation of radicals, dangerous chemicals that cause the oxidation of biological molecules.