Review Article Open Access

IDENTIFICATION OF SOURCES OF SOME PRIORITY HEAVY METALLIC POLLUTANTS CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND IT'S HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

Industrial activities in combination with the anthropogenesis of humans on the planet are the leading cause of heavy metal pollutants. The unabated continued loading of an ecosystem with these metallic contaminants has incidentally led to environmental degradation and human health complications. The study sort to review in clear terms how these heavy metals have caused damage to nature and reduce quality of life. We reported that the majority of these pollutants are emitted by mining activities and tag Lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd) and Chromium (Cr) as priority metallic pollutants which significantly impact negatively human health while causing ecological deterioration. Also, it was recorded that these metallic pollutants constituted components of agricultural inputs which at even in small concentrations, due to their tenacity, non-degradability, biological toxicity, and capacity to enter the food chain. Another critical environmental problem in recent years is soil pollution caused by excessive use of inorganic fertilizers. It was investigated that when these metallic ions upon entering into food chain via contaminated soils and water, reaching critical concentrations, causing harmful metabolites in the body, and having adverse effects on living organisms such as kidney damage, hypertension, mutagenicity, carcinogenesis, diabetes, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and various types of cancer are some ramifications caused by exposure to high contents of Arsenic (As) element. Chromium (Cr) had been identified as carcinogenic to humans capable of causing liver necrosis, nephritis, and death. Lead in the human system pose a threat to the tree-sensitive organs of the hematopoietic.

EMMANUEL IGWE1*, SOLOMON OLOCHE ONOJA2, PRECIOUS TOCHUKWU NWODO2, VALÉRIEN BAHARANE3, SIMBO DIAKITE4, FRANCESS SIA SAQUEE4, BENEDICTHA CHINENYE UGWU5, ODEKU JUNIOR AMECHI2, OBED KOHOL NIAMBE1, OCHOCHE SHAIBU3, EVALISTUS ILOABUCHI NWANKWO1, ABDULMAJEED ALLAN CKIKUKULA1, MICHAEL ADEWOLE AJADI2, CHUKWUKA OKPALACHUKWU ANIAGBOSO2, FRANKA ANYAMA UNDIE6, NNOLI EUCHARIA CHISOM1, OSAZEMEN GODSWILL OSAYOGIE1

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