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Environmental Metal Pollutants, Reactive Oxygen Intermediaries and Genotoxicity pp 171–181Cite as

Effects of Environmental Metal and Metalloid Pollutants on Human Health

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Abstract

There is no doubt that exposure of humans to high concentrations of metal and metalloid compounds results in the development of specific diseases and in some cases death. Blackfoot disease, hard metal lung disease, itai-itai and Minamata disease are well characterized diseases that are associated with metal exposure. Acute or chronic exposure to metal and metalloid compounds can result in damage to essentially all organ systems. Metal and metalloid ions are hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic and neurotoxic. They can adversely effect the functioning of the endrocrine, hematopoietic, immune, respiratory and reproductive systems. In today’s society, however, exposure to high, cytotoxic concentrations of metal or metalloid compounds is extremely rare. Conversely, everyone is chronically exposed to low non-lethal concentrations of metal and metalloid compounds. While concerns have been raised regarding the potential health risks associated with such exposure, this concept remains controversial. In this chapter, information is presented concerning the potential role(s) that low non-lethal concentrations of metal and metalloid pollutants may have in certain human disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona, USA

    Maria E. Ariza

  2. Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, UK

    Gautam N. Bijur

  3. Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, The Ohio State University, USA

    Marshall V. Williams

Authors
  1. Maria E. Ariza
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  2. Gautam N. Bijur
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  3. Marshall V. Williams
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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Ariza, M.E., Bijur, G.N., Williams, M.V. (1999). Effects of Environmental Metal and Metalloid Pollutants on Human Health. In: Environmental Metal Pollutants, Reactive Oxygen Intermediaries and Genotoxicity. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5153-9_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5153-9_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7346-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-5153-9

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