Chapters authored
Heavy Metal Contamination in Vegetables and Their Toxic Effects on Human Health
Vegetables are a prevalent nutrition for people all over the world because they are high in important nutrients, antioxidants, and metabolites that function as buffers for acidic compounds created during digestion. Vegetables, on the other hand, absorbed both vital and poisonous substances through the soil. Possible human health concerns, including as cancer and renal damage, have been linked to the consumption of heavy metal-contaminated vegetables (HMs). Heavy metals like Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Hg were found in high concentrations in popular vegetables such as Amaranthus tricolour L., Chenopodium album L., Spinacia oleracea, Coriandrum sativum, Solanum lycopersicum, and Solanum melongena. The toxicity, fortification, health hazard, and heavy metals sources grown in soil are detailed in this review study.
Part of the book: Sustainable Crop Production
Heavy Metal Contamination of Water and Their Toxic Effect on Living Organisms
Water has become a major threat in today’s world. Collection of heavy metals, a few of them, is potentially toxic and these get distributed to different areas through different pathways. With an increase in the earth’s population, development and industrialization are taking place rapidly and these get the major source of water contamination. With heavy metals in lakes, rivers, groundwater, and various water sources, water gets polluted by the increased concentration of heavy metals and metalloids through release from the suddenly mine tailings, disposal of high metal wastes, growing industrial areas, leaded gasoline and paints, usage of fertilizers inland, animal manures, E-waste, sewage sludge, pesticides, wastewater irrigation, coal, etc. Exposure to heavy metals has been linked to chronic and acute toxicity, which develops retardation; neurotoxicity can damage the kidneys, lead to the development of different cancers, damage the liver and lungs; bones can become fragile; and there are even chances of death in case of huge amount of exposure. This chapter mainly focuses on heavy metal pollution in water and its toxic effect on living organisms.
Part of the book: The Toxicity of Environmental Pollutants