2. Roles of metallothionein in the cells The first discovered and still not fully understood roles of MT-1 and MT-2 are transporting of essential heavy metals, detoxification of toxic ones and protection against oxidation stress. MT by interaction with other proteins fulfils its function, resulting in different effects in the organism [5]. Interaction of MT with other proteins occurs either dir...

Stress proteins (heat shock proteins, HSPs) have been proposed as general markers of cellular aggression and their use for environmental monitoring is often suggested. The aim of this work was to study the potency of various environmentally relevant organic and inorganic chemicals to induce the expression of the HSP70 marker. For this purpose, we used an established HeLa cell line containing th...

The effects on the environment of pollution, particularly that caused by various industrial activities, have been responsible for the accelerated fluxes of organic and inorganic matter in the ecosphere. Xenobiotics such as phenol, phenolic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals, even at low concentrations, can be toxic to humans and other forms of life. Many of the...

Hyperaccumulation is an unusual plant response to metaliferous soils. Such soils like those derived from ultramafic rocks, have elevated concentrations of heavy metals, mainly Ni, Cr, Zn and Cd. Most plants growing on these soils exclude metals from their shoots as excessive accumulation of heavy metals is toxic to the majority of plants. However, about 2% of plants growing on metaliferous soil...

Heavy metals that enter marine environment and remain in the water as well as the sediments are accumulated by aquatic organisms, thus becoming highly good indicators to monitor metal accumulation in the long run. Metals are potentially harmful to humans and most organisms at varied levels of exposure and absorption. Northern East Mediterranean Sea is a crucial region as it is an area, shared b...

Toxic metals are part of our environment, and undue exposure to them leads to a variety of pathologies. In response, most organisms adapt their metabolism and have evolved systems to limit this toxicity and to acquire tolerance. Ribosome biosynthesis being central for protein synthesis, we analyzed in yeast the effects of a moderate concentration of cadmium (Cd(2+)) on Pol I transcription that ...

Industrialization and urbanization have led to the release of increasing amounts of heavy metals into the environment. Metal ion contamination of drinking water and waste water is a serious ongoing problem especially with high toxic metals such as lead and cadmium and less toxic metals such as copper and zinc. Several biological materials have attracted many researchers and scientists as they o...

An Adsorbent based treatment system is presented for toxic metal removal from rinsewater streams. The adsorbent is a Mg-A1 oxide anion exchange material with high capacity (approaching 5.5 meq/g) and strong selectivity for difficult to treat species such as Electroless plating metal chelates, Fixed Cyanides and chrome conversion solutions. Data is presented describing treatment of various metal...

In order to use the “Trinidad de Guedes" phosphorite (TGP) as a supplement of calcium and phosphorus in animals, its concentrations of heavy metals were determined and their deposition was analyzed in broilers. Toxic elements were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mean levels of heavy metals found in TGP were 82.5 mg/kg lead (Pb), 7.2 mg/kg cadmium (Cd), 1056.9 mg/kg man...

background:the use of herbal or medicinal plants in various forms has been popular for thousands of years. it is estimated that about 70–80% of the world’s population relies on alternative medicine, mainly of herbal origin. however, due to the nature and sources of these plants, they are sometimes contaminated with toxic heavy metals, which pose serious health risks to consumers. herbal formula...