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Bioremediation for Sustainable Environmental Cleanup

Table 10.1. Effects of toxic metals on human health.

Toxic Metals

Impact on Human Health

References

As

• Bladder cancer, skin cancer, leukaemia and lung cancer

• Neurological disorders throughout puberty and adulthood

• Diabetes and heart related diseases

• Pregnancy-related foetal death and premature birth

García-Esquinas

et al. 2013,

Lin et al. 2013,

Heck et al. 2014

Cd

• Inhalation issues, pulmonary edema, and mucous membrane degradation

• Vomiting and diarrhoea

• Severe impacts on bone and kidney

Nogawa et al.

2004, Nordberg

2004

Co

• Pulmonary fibrosis, coughing, lungs inflammation and reduced pulmonary

functioning

• Plasma cells cancer, damage in recurrent laryngeal nerves and brachial plexus

neuropathy

• Loss of visual and hearing capacity

Sheikh 2016,

Leyssens et al.

2017

Cr

• Asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic irritation, chronic pharyngitis, chronic

rhinitis, congestion and hyperaemia, polyps of the upper respiratory tract,

tracheobronchitis and nasal mucosa ulceration with probable septal perforation

• Irritant and allergic contact dermatitis

• Respiratory system malignancies such as lung cancer, nose cancer and sinus

cancer

• Insufficient oxygen and blood flow supply to kidney, sudden kidney failure

• Derangement of liver cells, necrosis, damage in lymph cells, increase in

Kupffer cells and histiocytic infiltration

• Anaemia and haematocrit, leucocytosis, reticulocyte counts and plasma

haemoglobin

Brutti et al. 2013,

Abdel-Gadir et al.

2016,

Ray 2016, Lim

et al. 2017

Cu

• Inflammation in mouth, eyes and nose, headaches, drowsiness, vomiting and

stomach cramps

• Severe damage to liver and kidney

• Wilson’s illness, brain damage, damage to myelin sheath, improper functioning

of kidney and copper deposition in the cornea

Kodama et al.

2012, Okereafor

et al. 2020

Hg

• Neurological disorders and behavioural problems such as tremors, sleeping

disorders, loss of appetite, droopy eyelids, double vision, cramps and

movement issues

• Red blood cell accumulation (competes with iron for haemoglobin binding)

and suppression of myelin formation in developing foetus

• Immune, enzyme and genetic alterations

• Young’s syndrome (Azoospermia sinopulmonary infections)

Hamada et al.

2013, Andreoli and

Sprovieri 2017,

Al Osman et al.

2019

Mn

• Risk of Parkinson disease

• Abrupt functioning of cardiovascular system

• Memory loss, tremors, neurological disorders, mortality of infants.

• Sexual incompatibility in males

Spangler and

Spangler 2009,

Meeker et al. 2010

Ni

• Respiratory issues, vomiting, dizziness, nausea, headache, coughing

• Lowering of oxygenated blood in lungs, improper functioning of lungs,

increase chances of lung cancer, chronic bronchitis

• Inflammatory responses in skins due to allergies

• Oncogenic haematotoxicity, congenital malfunction to foetus, toxic to immune

system

Das et al. 2008,

Zdrojewicz

et al. 2016

Pb

• Renal damage, inflammation, neurological disorders, fatigue, sleep disorder,

hallucinations, vertigo, hypertension, arthritis, birth defects, mental retardation

• Abrupt functioning of Central Nervous System (CNS) due to disruption of

intracellular second messenger systems

Okereafor et al.

2020

Zn

• Respiratory disease caused by inhaling zinc smoke, epigastric pains, increased

risk of prostate cancer and lethargy

• Imbalance of copper in body

• Inflammation and corrosiveness in gastrointestinal tract, nausea, vomiting and

interstitial nephritis

Plum et al. 2010,

Okereafor

et al. 2020