Toxic Effects of Heavy Metals on the Human Organism

Abstract

The toxic effects of these metals, even though they do not have any biological role, remain present in some or the other
form harmful for the human body and its proper functioning. They sometimes act as a pseudo element of the body while
at certain times they may even interfere with metabolic processes. Few metals, such as aluminium, can be removed
through elimination activities, while some metals get accumulated in the body and food chain, exhibiting a chronic nature. Various public health measures have been undertaken to control, prevent and treat metal toxicity occurring at various levels, such as occupational exposure, accidents and environmental factors. Metal toxicity depends upon the absorbed dose, the route of exposure and duration of exposure, i.e. acute or chronic. This can lead to various disorders and
can also result in excessive damage due to oxidative stress induced by free radical formation. This review gives details
about some heavy metals and their toxicity mechanisms, along with their health effects.