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Toxic Metal Pollution in Pakistan and Its Possible Risks to Public Health

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Book cover Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 242

Part of the book series: Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology ((RECT,volume 242))

Abstract

Environmental pollution has increased many folds in recent years and in some places has reached levels that are toxic to living things. Among pollutant types, toxic heavy metals and metalloids are among the chemicals that pose the highest threat to biological systems (Jjemba 2004). Unlike organic pollutants, which are biodegradable, heavy metals are not degraded into less hazardous end products (Gupta et al. 2001). Low concentrations of some heavy metals are essential for life, but some of them like Hg, As, Pb and Cd are biologically non-essential and very toxic to living organisms. Even the essential metals may become toxic if they are present at a concentration above the permissible level (Puttaiah and Kiran 2008). For example, exposure to Zn and Fe oxides produce gastric disorder and vomiting, irritation of the skin and mucous membranes. Intake of Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd and Cu causes heart problems, leukemia and cancer, while Co and Mg can cause anemia and hypertension (Drasch et al. 2006). Similarly, various studies indicated that overexposure to heavy metals in air can cause cardiovascular disorders (Miller et al. 2007; Schwartz 2001), asthma (Wiwatanadate and Liwsrisakun 2011), bronchitis/emphysema (Pope 2000), and other respiratory diseases (Dominici et al. 2006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Kohat University of Sciences and Technology (KUST), 26000, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

    Shakirullah Khan Shakir, Azizullah Azizullah, Waheed Murad, Farhat Nabeela & Shafiq ur Rehman

  2. Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, 26000, Pakistan

    Muhammad K. Daud

  3. Department of Microbiology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, 26000, Pakistan

    Hazir Rahman

  4. Neue Straße 9, 91096, Möhrendorf, Germany

    Donat-Peter Häder

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  1. Shakirullah Khan Shakir
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  2. Azizullah Azizullah
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    Pim de Voogt

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Shakir, S.K. et al. (2016). Toxic Metal Pollution in Pakistan and Its Possible Risks to Public Health. In: de Voogt, P. (eds) Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 242. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, vol 242. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/398_2016_9

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