Heavy metals

Heavy metals can be referring to metallic elements that have relatively high density than water which

is commonly related to its heaviness and can caused toxicity at low level of exposure. Heavy metals

are also considered as trace elements since they may present in trance concentrations (ppb range to

less than 10 ppm) in various environmental matrices. Physical factors such as phase association,

temperature, adsorption and sequestration have affected the bioavailability of these heavy metals. It

is also affected by biological factors including species characteristics, trophic interactions and

biochemical/physiological adaptation. Their bioavailability also influenced by chemical factors which

influence speciation at complexation kinetics, thermodynamic equilibrium, lipid solubility and water

partition coefficients.

The essential of heavy metals is they are beneficial and functions in physiological and biochemical

activities in plants and animals. Heavy metals play important role as constituents of several key

enzymes and roles in various oxidation-reduction reactions. For example, copper functions as an

essential co-factor for some oxidative stress-related enzymes such as peroxidase, cytochrome c

oxidase, ferroxidases catalase, monoamine oxidase etc. Therefore, copper can be considered as a

beneficial nutrient that mainly involved in haemoglobin formation, cross-linking collagen, hair keratin,

carbohydrate metabolism etc.

Environmental contamination

Recently, heavy metals have been the major concern to the ecological and global public health

that associated with environmental contamination by heavy metals. Also, human exposure in several

industrial, agricultural, technological and domestic applications has increased the possibility of being

contaminated by these metals. There are many reports suggest the sources of heavy metals in

environment such as industrial, agricultural, geogenic, pharmaceutical, domestic effluents and

domestic sources. Environmental pollution could be the main source areas which includes the mining

area, smelters and foundries and other metal-based industrial operations.

Most problems related to heavy metals and environmental pollutions are due to human

activities even though heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that can be found throughout

the earth’s crust. Human activities such as mining and smelting operations, domestic and agricultural

use of metals and metal-containing compound and industrial production and use. Besides these

activities, contamination in environment also occur through metal corrosion, soil erosion of metal ions,

leaching of heavy metals, sediment re-suspension, atmospheric deposition and metal evaporation

from water resources to soil and ground water. Other sources include natural phenomena such as

volcanic eruptions and weathering also can contribute to heavy metal pollution while industrial

sources which could directly contribute to this pollution includes, coal burning in power plants, metal

processing in refineries, nuclear power stations, petroleum combustion, wood preservation, paper

processing plants micro electrics and high tension lines, textiles and plastics.

Contaminated soil

Soil might be contaminated due to accumulation of metalloids and heavy metals emitted by rapidly

expanding industrial areas, disposal of high metal wastes, mine tailings, fertilizers application on land,

paints and leaded gasoline, animal manures, pesticides, waste water irrigation, coal combustion

residues, spillage of petrochemicals and atmospheric deposition. All these constitute to an ill-defined

group of inorganic chemical hazards such as lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), zinc (Zn), cadmium

(Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), and nickel (Ni) which are commonly found in the contaminated sites.

Soils have become a medium and a major sink for heavy metals released to the environment by human

activities and unlike organic contaminants that are oxidized to carbon (iv) oxide by microbial action,

most metals do not undergo chemical or microbial degradation.

Heavy metals may alter soil properties primarily soil biological properties. The intensity of soil

pollution can be evaluated by monitoring the changes in soil biochemical and microbiological

properties after contamination as these methods are more sensitive and the result can be obtained

at faster compared to when monitoring soil physical and chemical properties. Besides that, heavy

metals also affect the diversity, number and activities of soil microorganisms. Factors such as soil

temperature, Ph, clay minerals, inorganic anions and cations, chemical forms of the metal and clays

mineral are important in determining the toxicity of these metals.

For plants, the amount of heavy metals available for plant uptake present as soluble components in

the soil solution or those that are easily solubilized by root exudates. However, excessive amounts of

metals cause toxic to plants. Some shows direct effect such as inhibition of cytoplasmic enzymes and

damage to cell structures due to oxidative stress.

Heavy metal Poisoning Cases

Minamata disease

Figure 1:Minamata disease associated with mercury poisoning (source: google image)

Minamata disease, also referred as Chisso-Minamata disease is a severe neurological syndrome and a

form of methyl mercury poisoning. The disease was first discovered in 1956 in Minamata city in

Kumamoto prefecture, Japan and it was announced in 1968 by the national government as a pollution

disease caused by Chisso Co., Ltd, a Japanese chemical company caused the sea to be contaminated

due to the released of methyl mercury in the industrial wastewater. The disease broke out particularly
in Minamata Bay and Yatsushiro Sea coastal area. The disease later spread in the Agano river basin in

Niigata Prefacture. In May 1956, the disease was first reported in the Minamata bay area where at the

end of the year, the number of patients reached up to 52 with 17 people had died.

Figure 2: Areas with outbreak of Minamata disease

(Source : https://www.google.com/search?q=minamata+disease&client=firefox)

The Shiranui Sea where the first Minamata disease occurred has an area of 1,200 square kilometres is

where a population of nearly 200,000 were engaged in fishery and accustomed to eat shellfishes and

fisher as main dish all year round. The released of methyl mercury caused sea contamination and

pollution. The condition began to affect the residents through the absorption of methyl mercury into

the body through several environmental sources mainly through seafood.

The pollutant accumulated in the food chain and absorbed by other organisms such as

plankton, which is the main food source for fish and shellfish in the water. Food chain continued as

larger fish that ate contaminated fish that absorbed the mercury and further fed by birds were also

contaminated and other predators that preyed on these birds.

 The methyl mercury that enters the body primarily attacks the central nervous system

including the brain that causes various symptoms such as numbness, tiredness, narrowing of the field

of vision, awkward movement, unsteadiness in hands and legs, loss of hearing, slurred speech. Severe

victims of the disease including became unconscious and went insane, died within a month. Other

chronic symptoms include, frequent tiredness, loss of smell and taste and forgetfulness that their daily

life difficult.

Figure 2&3: Physical damage caused by Minamata disease

Based on the analysis conducted, hair samples had been used to test the mercury level in

body. Generally, a level of mercury up to 50 ppm are likely to cause nerve damage and the people

living outside Minamata area had an average of 4 ppm compared to people living in Minamata had

level of mercury as high 700 ppm.

Treatment for the Minamata disease may vary according to the condition and severity of the

victim. Although the damage on human is reversible and there is no cure, several standard approaches

have been taken as followed:

 Isolating and identifying the source of exposure another exposure which is the most

important first step.

 Removal of the mercury from body using chelating agents. Chelating agents function

to react and bind to this mercury which prevent them from binding to body tissues.
 However, this method may come with side effects and risk such as the mercury may

be redistributed that it may even get to the brain.

 Physical rehabilitation is always necessary to patients as most of them loss their

muscle function and become paralysis although the condition of victims may vary.

 As mercury is extremely harmful to the body that it may also increases levels of

reactive oxygen which can be countered by using antioxidants.

Itai- itai disease

In 1963, research and studies has been conducted to find the cause of a strange disease that appeared

in the downstream basin of the Jinzu River in 1912, as people inflicted with pain across their entire

body and some of severe cases, the victims suffered broken bones when trying to move on their own.

Later, it was announced that the disease was cadmium poisoning and the report followed that the

pollutant came from a commercial mining company, Kamioka Mining Co., Ltd. Cadmium poisoning

caused damages such as it impairs kidney function and progressively causes osteomalacia. Victims also

suffered from calcium deficiency with old age, malnutrition, during pregnant or breast feeding or

hormone imbalance.
 Figure 3: Itai itai disease associate with bone problems

(Source : https://www.google.com/search?q=itai+itai+disease&client=firefox)

Cadmium

Cadmium include as heavy metal that is widely distributed in the earth’s crust with an average

concentration of about 0.1 mg/kg. Cadmium with the highest level can be found in sedimentary rocks

and marine phosphates about 15 mg/ kg. Cadmium exposure to human mainly can be through

inhalation, cigarette smoke, food ingestion. Human exposure to cadmium is possible via several some

sources such as working in metal industries, eating contaminated food, smoking, working in cadmium-

contaminated work places as smoking is the major contributor. Other sources include cadmium

emitted from industrial activities such as mining, smelting and manufacturing of batteries, pigments,

stabilizer and alloy etc.

References

http://www.einap.org/envdis/Minamata.html