The variability of the bioaccumulation of metals (Ag, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) was extensively studied in the mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus from five hydrothermal vent sites inside three main vent fields of increasing depth along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Menez Gwen, Lucky Strike and Rainbow. Metal bioaccumulation varied greatly between vent fields and even between sites inside a vent field with B....

Since the industrial revolution, the production, and consequently the emission of metals, has increased exponentially, overwhelming the natural cycles of metals in many ecosystems. Metals display a diverse array of physico-chemical properties such as essential versus non-essential and redox-active versus non-redox-active. In general, all metals can lead to toxicity and oxidative stress when tak...

Due to industrialization and environmental effects the drinking water quality has been greatly affected in Pakistan. A number of industries are draining their waste containing heavy metals without any treatment in effluents. As a result of this practice almost all of the fresh water resources are getting contaminated, although the deep aquifer in most of the countries is still safe from contami...

The physiological importance of metals in human organism has been shown by many publications. The toxic doses of metals and their compounds can lead to serious health problems. Different metals present in the composition of blood can form different complexes with many organic compounds and biomolecules which could be found in the body fluids. Depending on the concentration of metals in the part...

Heavy metals such as Cu and Zn are essential for normal plant growth, although elevated concentrations of both essential and non-essential metals can result in growth inhibition and toxicity symptoms. Plants possess a range of potential cellular mechanisms that may be involved in the detoxification of heavy metals and thus tolerance to metal stress. These include roles for the following: for my...

This study used hair and nails to biomonitor heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr and Cu) from geological source and exposure through regular fish consumption among children in Lake Victoria, Kenya. Concentration of Pb and Cu in water reflected anthropogenic pathways, while Cd and Cr reflected accumulation from the catchment basin. Higher concentration of heavy metals in the nails samples than the hair sam...

The intracellular compartmentation of essential and toxic metals is of intense scientific interest because of its potential for adding to our understanding of both normal homeostatic mechanisms for metals and of the mechanisms which underlie metal-induced cell injury. High-affinity metal-binding proteins, lysosomes, and precipitates such as inclusion bodies or concretions, play major roles in t...

Rapid growth in urbanization and industrialization has increased the levels of heavy metals in the environment and consequently in the food chain. Consumption of contaminated food by human beings and other animals may pose a serious threat to their health. Vegetables are a major portion of the human diet, providing microand macronutrients, fibers, antioxidants, vitamins, etc. Vegetables are oft...

This article systematically overviews the grain size effect on deformation twinning and detwinning in face-centered cubic (fcc) metals. With decreasing grain size, coarse-grained fcc metals become more difficult to deform by twinning, whereas nanocrystalline (nc) fcc metals first become easier to deform by twinning and then become more difficult, exhibiting an optimum grain size for twinning. T...

We are frequently asked, what does hair analysis reveal about heavy metals? First, heavy metals are so ubiquitous in our environment that everyone is exposed to them. They cannot be avoided completely and are found in virtually everyone to some degree. Most clinician’s are aware that hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) measures nutritional minerals and the heavy metals that are incorporated int...