Toxic Effects of Metals and Micronutrients

Abstract

This chapter deals with the adverse effects of a wide range of metals and micronutrients such as arsenic, lead, mercury, copper, fluoride, iron, molybdenum, selenium, zinc, salt poisoning, etc. that have an important role in animal practice. These metals have also been used to make utensils, machinery, and so on. These activities increased environmental levels of metals. More recently metals have found a number of uses in industry, agriculture, and medicine. These activities have increased exposure not only to metal-related occupational workers but also to animals through environmental contamination or through other sources. Despite the wide range of metals and their toxic properties, there are a number of toxicological features that are common to many metals. Toxicity of a few of these metals that are of veterinary importance have been briefly discussed.