Based on the monitoring of five heavy metal elements in the surface sediments of the Pearl River in South China, potential toxicity of the heavy metals was assessed using consensus-based sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) method and geo-accumulation (I(geo)) index method. The monitoring results showed the heavy metal concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with each other, d...

Heavy metal intoxication is a consequence of the accumulation metals in body. The toxicity heavy metals, particularly lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury, remains significant problem challenge for future investigations.

today, biosphere pollution has accelerated strongly with start of industrial revolution by toxicity of heavy metals. one of existing pollution is soil pollution. unfortunately, soil pollution by metals is as intensive environmental stress for plant hence for human. plants, which are able to store heavy metals in their organs, can be used for phytoremediation of polluted soils and utilization of...

While the toxicity of metals and metalloids, like arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead and chromium, is undisputed, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not entirely clear. General consensus holds that proteins are the prime targets; heavy metals interfere with the physiological activity of specific, particularly susceptible proteins, either by forming a complex with functional side chain groups ...

A heavy metal is a member of a loosely defined subset of elements that exhibit metallic properties. It mainly includes the transition metals, some metalloids, lanthanides, and actinides. Many different definitions have been proposed based on density, atomic number or atomic weight, and some on chemical properties. Heavy metal toxicity can result in damaged central nervous function, lower energy...

Harmful effects of contaminants on the ecosystem and humans cannot be assessed by standard chemical analyses of environmental samples, therefore toxicity tests using live organisms or cells represent a vital part of environmental monitoring. Biological methods based on microorganisms as test-species, have already successfully been applied to environmental toxicity/genotoxicity assessment. The e...

Plant growth, pigment concentration, biochemical parameters and uptake of heavy metals were determined for Brassica juncea L. in response to cadmium and lead stress. The plant exhibited a decline in growth, chlorophyll content and carotenoids with Cd and Pb but Cd was found to be more detrimental than Pb treatment in B. juncea. The protein content was decreased by Cd (900 μM) to 95% and 44% by ...

In standard soil toxicity tests, heavy metals are amended as water-soluble salts. The role of the counterion in metal salt toxicity is scarcely looked into. In this study, we assessed the contribution of nitrate and chloride to the toxicity of lead to Folsomia candida in a natural standard soil. Both lead salts were tested according the standard test protocol as well as after percolation of the...

In this article a luminescence fiber optic biosensor for the microdetection of heavy metal toxicity in waters based on the marine bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri (A. fischeri) encapsulated in alginate microspheres is described. Cu(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), Cr(VI), Co(II), Ni(II), Ag(I) and Fe(II) were selected as sample toxic heavy metal ions for evaluation of the performance of this toxicity ...

Heavy metals are categorized based on their high density, atomic weight, atomic number and molecular weight. Lewis acids property of metal ions results in covalent complex formation with different ligands in humans and other living forms which make metals nondegradable and cause toxicity (Duffus, 2002). Pulp and paper mill are categorized as one of the 12 most polluting industries in India whic...