Heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic are polluting our food and water due to natural sources and human activities such as industrial emissions, mining, and improper waste disposal.
These toxic metals build up in plants and animals, leading to higher levels in foods we eat like grains, vegetables, fruits, fish, and dairy products. Exposure to these metals can cause serious health problems, including nerve damage, kidney and liver issues, heart diseases, weakened immune systems, and even cancer.
Children, pregnant women, and people living near contaminated areas are especially at risk.
Efforts to reduce contamination include setting safety standards, improving farming practices, processing foods to remove toxins, and using eco-friendly methods like certain plants and microorganisms to clean up polluted water and soil.
Healthcare professionals are working to detect exposure early, educate the public, and advocate for policies that protect our food and water supplies.
Zhang, Peng et al. “Water Quality Degradation Due to Heavy Metal Contamination: Health Impacts and Eco-Friendly Approaches for Heavy Metal Remediation.” Toxics vol. 11,10 828. 30 Sep. 2023, doi:10.3390/toxics11100828 This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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