HEAVY METALS AND OUR HEALTH

Hello Steemians
Today i'll like share to share a brief thought on some issues or elements that maybe silent but considerably dangerous to our health.

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They are called HEAVY METALS!

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Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that have a high atomic weight and a density at least 5 times greater than that of water. Their multiple industrial, domestic, agricultural, medical and technological applications have led to their wide distribution in the environment; raising concerns over their potential effects on human health and the environment. They are considered as trace elements because of their presence in trace concentrations

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Heavy metals are toxic to human health, most common heavy metals are lead(Pb), mercury(Hg), cadmium(Cd) and arsenic(As) Indoor concentration of heavy metals is generally less than their outdoor concentration and are mainly produced by industrial activities, and deposit slowly in the surrounding water and soil. but Arsenic is not actually a metal but is a semi-metal i.e. its properties are intermediate between those of metals and nonmetals. All heavy metals Have high densities, Toxic in nature, Non-degradable. The essential heavy metals are useful as they exert biochemical and physiological functions in plants and animals. They are important constituents of several key enzymes and play important roles in various oxidation-reduction reactions.

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Modes of entry into Man are through: Inhalation (The Nose), Oral (The Mouth) and Dermal (The Skin).

MERCURY

Mercury is employed in many applications due to its unusual property of being a liquid that conducts electricity, Used in electrical switches, fluorescent light bulbs and mercury lamps. Emission of mercury vapour from large industrial operations
Unregulated burning of coal and fuel oil
Incineration of municipal wastes. Emissions from mercury containing products: batteries, thermometers, etc.
Mercury amalgams: dental fillings

Health effects of Mercury include:

Skin burns, Irritation of nose and skin, Rashes, Excessive perspiration, Damage to the kidneys, Damage to vision, Dysfunctions of the central nervous system, Loss of hearing and muscle coordination, Severe brain damage, Death.

LEAD

Commonly used in the building industry for roofing, flashing, for paints production, for soundproofing, Used in pipes, When combined with tin, it forms solder, used in electronics and in other applications to make connections between solid metals
Lead is also used in ammunition
Lead is used in batteries and sinkers in fishing

Health effects of Lead:

At high levels, inorganic lead is a general metabolic poison.
Lead poisoning effects the neurological and reproductive systems.
Lead breaks the blood-brain barrier and interferes with the normal development of brain in infants Lead is observed to lower IQ levels in children
Lead is transferred postnatally from the mother in her breast milk
At elevated levels, lead poisoning would eventually result in death

CADMIUM

Cadmium is used as an electrode in “nicad” batteries. It is used as a pigment in paints(yellow colour). It is also used in photovoltaic devices and in TV screens, Cigarette smoke, Fertilizers and pesticides
The greatest proportion of our exposure to cadmium comes from our food supply- seafood, organ meats, particularly kidneys,
and also from potatoes, rice, and other grains.

Health effects of Cadmium:

Severe pain in joints, Bone diseases, Kidney problems, it's lifetime in the body for several years poses serious health problems related to bones, liver and kidneys and can eventually cause death.

ARSENIC

Sources include:
Pesticides, Mining, smelting of gold, lead, copper and nickel. Production of iron and steel, Combustion of coal, Leachate from abandoned gold mines, Used as a wood preservative, Herbicides, Tobacco smoke

Health effects of Arsenic include;

Birth defects, Carcinogen (Lung cancer results from the inhalation of arsenic and probably also from its ingestion). Skin and liver cancer, and perhaps cancers of the bladder and kidneys,
arise from ingested arsenic, Gastrointestinal damage, Severe vomiting, Diarrhea, Death.

How can we control these heavy metals:

1. Periodic vacuuming of the house can be effective in removal of these pollutants
2. Replacement of wood-burning by an equivalent gas or electrical appliance
3. Removal of old lead and mercury-based paints
   (The effective method for removal of mercury vapors is by the use of packed bed of absorbents)
4. Gold-coated denuder can also be used for the removal of mercury from air. And many more...

Control at source of pollution could be effective, but PREVENTION IS THE BEST CONTROL MEASURE!

Stay Safe!
And Keep Steeming...

Thank you.