Heavy metals can be emitted into environment by both natural and anthropogenic sources, mainly mining and industrial activity. Human exposure occurs through all environmental media. Infants are more susceptible to the adverse effects of exposure. Increasing attention is now being paid to the mental development of children exposed to heavy metals. The purpose of this book is to evaluate the existing knowledge on intellectual impairment in children exposed to heavy metals in their living environment and to identify the research needs in order to obtain a clearer picture of the situation in countries and regions at risk, in which the economy is closely related to metallurgy and heavy metals emission, and to recommend a strategy for human protection. In greater detail the main objectives could be formulated as follows: to review the principal sources of single, and complex mixtures of, heavy metal pollutants in the environment; to identify suitable methodology for chemical analyses in the environment and in humans; to evaluate the existing methods for measuring mental impairment, including their reliability and validity; to recommend a standard testing protocol to be used in future research; to assess the future role of environmental heavy metal pollution in countries and regions at risk and its effects on children’s neurological development; to recommend a prevention strategy for protecting children’s health and development.

In recent years, urbanization and industrialization have produced large amounts of heavy metals, which are highly toxic to both humans and the environment. This book presents a comprehensive overview of heavy metals including their physiochemical properties, toxicity, transfer in the environment, legislation, environmental impacts, and mitigation measures. Written by experts in the field, chapters include scientific research as well as case studies.

Fundamental societal changes resulted from the necessity of people to get organized in mining, transporting, processing, and circulating the heavy metals and their follow-up products, which in consequence resulted in a differentiation of society into diversified professions and even societal strata. Heavy metals are highly demanded technological materials, which drive welfare and progress of the human society, and often play essential metabolic roles. However, their eminent toxicity challenges the field of chemistry, physics, engineering, cleaner production, electronics, metabolomics, botany, biotechnology, and microbiology in an interdisciplinary and cross-sectorial manner. Today, all these scientific disciplines are called to dedicate their efforts in a synergistic way to avoid exposure of heavy metals into the eco- and biosphere, to reliably monitor and quantify heavy metal contamination, and to foster the development of novel strategies to remediate damage caused by heavy metals.

This contributed volume covers a comprehensive account of the sources, toxic biological as well as environmental impacts, and possible remediation strategies for contamination by heavy metals. In biological systems, toxic metals affect the integrity of cellular organelles and act as carcinogens causing chromosomal aberrations or as systemic toxicants leading to cardiovascular, neurobehavioral, and immunological disorders. In plants, they interfere with photosynthesis, fertility, metabolite, and chlorophyll synthesis. Toxicity induced by heavy metals involves mechanistic approaches that need to be understood properly. They cannot be degraded by biological or chemical means and thus can only be converted to less harmful forms. The conventional detection methods include biosensors, voltammetry, atomic absorption spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma with atomic emission spectrometry. All such strategies for metal detection and mitigation strategies are covered in this title under one section. This book incorporates classical views along with modern scientific approaches to develop an understanding of the subject matter suitable for academicians, researchers, planners, policymakers, NGOs, and environmental consultancies and raise awareness on this concern. Topics representing diverse sections namely environmental impacts, biological effects, and methods used for detection and remediation have been included to address all possible contemporary issues on the topic in one concise volume.

This book provides in-depth coverage of environmental pollution sources, waste characteristics, control technologies, management strategies, facility innovations, process alternatives, costs, case histories, effluent standards, and future trends in waste treatment processes. It delineates methodologies, technologies, and the regional and global effects of important pollution control practices. It focuses on toxic heavy metals in the environment, various heavy metal decontamination technologies, brownfield restoration, and industrial, agricultural, and radioactive waste management. It discusses the importance of metals such as lead, chromium, cadmium, zinc, copper, nickel, iron, and mercury.

A successful modern heavy metal control program for any industry will include not only traditional water pollution control, but also air pollution control, soil conservation, site remediation, groundwater protection, public health management, solid waste disposal, and combined industrial-municipal heavy metal waste management. In fact, it should be

The occurrence of heavy metals in the environment, even in traces, represents a severe risk for the ecosystems and can be dangerous to human health. However, a better understanding of the main aspects involved is still needed to reduce its negative impact on the environment and health. This book covers the recent methods used for the evaluation of heavy metal pollution and the identification of its sources, descriptions of some of the processes involved in its mobility and transport, attempts to address health and environmental effects of heavy metals pollution, and presents alternative technologies for its removal and remediation from environmental samples. Therefore, this book is recommended for experts in the comprehensive management of metal contamination in different environmental compartments.