Heavy Metal and environmental pollution

Abstract

In recent years, environmental contamination caused by heavy metals has become a global problem as it impacts public health. Particularly when anthropogenic activities such as factories and urbanisation continue to increase, releasing contaminants into the atmosphere without solutions for control and effects. Heavy metals are naturally formed in the soil system as a result of the parent materials' pedogenetic weathering processes, as well as through anthropogenic sources such as coal and fuel combustion. Metals accumulated in the soil can be converted and transmitted up the food chain, from plants to animals and people..By affecting the metabolic processes of vital organs and glands, excessive heavy metal levels may be detrimental to the organism and plants. They also displace from their original position the necessary nutritional minerals, thereby hindering their biological role. As a result of growing anthropogenic activities, it is vital that heavy metal levels in the atmosphere be regularly measured and monitored for human exposure assessment and a healthy environment.The goal of this study is to discuss heavy metal contamination in the environment, as well as the pharmacokinetic and toxicological processes involved. .