Heavy Metals - Sources in the Environment

Heavy metals, the most often toxic metals considered as poisons to humans are lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium. ^{How to detoxify...} 

They are the result of air emissions from combustion plants, oil, ore mining, industrial processes, incinerators, elimination of the mining and industrial waste, food industry (long-term use of some chemical compounds for plant protection led to increased amounts of copper, mercury, cadmium and lead in soil, then contaminating the food).

They are generally found at the particles level (except mercury which is mainly gaseous).

Water and air can be considered as renewable sources, but in soils the effect of human activity is more persistent and often irreversible.

	NICKEL Certain foods (e.g. Cacao, chocolate, broccoli, nuts, bananas), dental restorations, protheses (hip, knee, cochlear and cardiac implants), coins, jewelry, color pigments, cosmetics, stainless steel cutlery and pots, iuds, incinerators, tobacco smoke, industrial exhaust
	TITANIUM Dental implants, restorations, pigments, pins and screws; orthopedic protheses, pacemakers, vascular stents, whitening agent (E171) in food and pharmaceutical products (medications, toothpaste, cosmetics), coating agent, jewelry
	CADMIUM Tobacco smoke, root fillings (Guttapercha), batteries, vegetables and grain grown in contaminated soil, metal pigments in cosmetics and dental materials, incinerators.
	GOLD Dental crowns and bridges, jewelry, pharmaceuticals (e.g. For rheumatoid arthritis), food coloring (E175) in sweets, porcelain decorations
	PALLADIUM Dental crowns, bridges, and root pins; car exhaust, jewelry, electronic equipment, spinning- and weaving mills.
	LEAD Tobacco smoke, old water pipes and paints, metal pigments in cosmetics, root fillings (formerly), vegetables grown in contaminated soil, incinerators, roadway dust
	BERYLLIUM Metal industry, aircraft construction, ceramic industry, transistors, vegetables, dental restorations, fluorescent lamps, photography.
	INORGANIC MERCURY Amalgam fillings (50% mercury), thermometers, batteries, disinfectants, gas meters
	TIN Dental restorations, paints, soldering material, jewelry, galvanic products, glass and ceramic industry, catalysts, toothpaste (snf 2)
	PHENYL MERCURY Pesticides, cosmetics
	ETHYL MERCURY Vaccines (thimerosal), contact lens solutions, eye drops
	METHYL MERCURY Fish and crustaceans
	ALUMINIUM Deoderants, dental restorations (Ti-Al alloys), vaccines (as adjuvants), electronic industry, metal industry, vegetables
	PLATINE Jewelry, dental crowns and bridges, catalysts, photo materials, cytostatics
	COPPER Amalgam and dental restorations, supplements (vitamins and minerals), iuds, medicinal baths, electronic industry, pigments
	COBALT Jewelry, coins, fertilizer, dental restorations, cement and other building materials
	CHROMIUM Jewelry, electroplating, dyes, wood impregnation, incinerators, welding, Cr-Fe alloys, dental materials, cement, household items (Chromium-Nickel-Steel)
	INDIUM Dental restorations, electronic industry, solar cells (cuinse), metal alloys, medicinal radioisotopes
	MOLYBDENIUM Steel industry, color pigments, dental materials (Co-Cr-Mo), fossil fuels, oil refineries, lubricating oil
	GALLIUM Palladium-containing dental materials, thermometers, diodes, solar batteries
	IRIDIUM Gold alloys, electronics, catalysts, platinum/iridium-alloys in jewelry
	RUTHENIUM Dental alloys, ceramics
	VANADIUM Titanium alloys, implant materials, incinerators, catalysts
	SILVER Amalgam and dental restorations, jewelry, food coloring (E174), coins, antiseptics (silver nitrate), pharmaceuticals, photo and copy industry