Chelation therapy is the preferred medical treatment for reducing the toxic effects of metals. Chelating agents are capable of binding to toxic metal ions to form complex structures which are easily excreted from the body removing them from intracellular or extracellular spaces. 2,3-Dimercaprol has long been the mainstay of chelation therapy for lead or arsenic poisoning, however its serious si...

A ll transition metals are highly toxic to life at low levels, but at the same time some, such as manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc and molybdenum, are essential micronutrients needed to catalyse key enzymatic reactions. To survive, living organisms have had to evolve mechanisms that either remove such metals from their bodies or detoxify and make use of them metabolically. Many of ...

Metal poisoning is a global problem with humans being exposed to a wide range of metals in varying doses and varying time frames. Traditionally, treatment involves removal of the toxic source or chelation therapy. An intermediate approach is needed. This review outlines the argument for the use of essential metal supplementation as a strategy to induce metallothionein expression and displace th...

The main objective of this paper is to provoke and stimulate debate on the health effects of long-term, low-level exposure of human populations to toxic metals. Over one billion (10(9)) human guinea pigs are now being exposed to elevated levels of toxic metals and metalloids in the environment. The number of persons suffering from subclinical metal poisoning is believed to be several million. A...

Metals such as cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) are essential for nor‐ mal plant growth and development since they contribute to the function of many en‐ zymes and proteins. However, metals can potentially become toxic to plants when they are present at high levels in their bioavailable forms (Hall, 2002). Phytotoxic levels of one or more inorganic ions in soil can be found i...

Soils, sediments, and waters heavily polluted with radionuclides and other toxic metals, are a reservoir of unusual bacteria well adapted to these toxic environments. These bacteria possess fascinating mechanisms for interaction with and bio-transformation of radionuclides and other heavy metals, thus regulating the mobility of the metals in the environment. This paper will give an overview on ...

H eavy metals, such as cadmium, copper, mercury, and arsenic, are ubiquitous components of the Earth’s crust. Most of these metals are toxic to varying degrees, and life has accordingly evolved ways to deal with them: either by developing mechanisms to detoxify them, or using them for biological functions. As humans began unearthing metals to be turned into consumer products, large amounts of h...