The term “heavy metals” is used as a group name of toxic metals and metalloids (semimetals) causing contaminations and ecotoxicity. In strict chemical sense the density of heavy metals is higher than 5 g/cm3. From biological point of view as microelements they can be divided into two major groups. a. For their physiological function organisms and cells require essential microelements such as iron, chromium (III), cobalt, copper, manganese, molidenium, zinc. b. The other group of heavy metals is toxic to the health or environment. Of highest concern are the emissions of As, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl. The toxicity of heavy metals is well known at organizational level, while less attention has been paid to their cellular effects. This book describes the toxicity of heavy metals on microorganisms, yeast, plant and animal cells. Other chapters of the book deal with their genotoxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. The toxicity of several metals touch upon the aspects of environmental hazard, ecosystems and human health. Among the cellular responses of heavy metals irregularities in cellular mechanisms such as gene expression, protein folding, stress signaling pathways are among the most important ones. The final chapters deal with biosensors and removal of heavy metals. As everybody is eating, drinking and exposed to heavy metals on a daily basis, the spirit of the book will attract a wide audience.

Over 400 years ago, Swiss alchemist and physician Paracelsus (1493-1541) cited: "All substances are poisons; there is none that is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy." This is often condensed to: "The dose makes the poison." So, why are we overtly anxious about intoxications?In fact, poisons became a global problem with the industrial revolution. Pesticides, asbestos, occupational chemicals, air pollution, and heavy metal toxicity maintain high priority worldwide, especially in developing countries. Children between 0 and 5 years old are the most vulnerable to both acute and chronic poisonings, while older adults suffer from the chronic effects of chemicals. This book aims to raise awareness about the challenges of poisons, to help clinicians understand current issues in toxicology.

Plant growth and development is closely dependent on the plant environment, including the wide-spread presence of organic and inorganic xenobiotics and pollutants. Currently, heavy metals are the most common inorganic environmental pollutants and they have pronounced effects and consequences not only for plants, but also for the ecosystem in which the plants form an integral component. It has been suggested that these contaminants accumulate in agricultural crops, thus entering the food chain and posing a significant health risk. Plants growing in polluted sites exhibit altered metabolism, reduced growth, and decreased biomass production. These pollutants adhere to plant roots and exert physical or chemical toxicity and subsequently cell death in plants. Yet, plants have developed various defence mechanisms to counteract the toxicity induced by heavy metals. Only detailed study of the processes and mechanisms would allow researchers and students to understand the interactions, responses, and adaptations of plants to these pollutants; however, there are several unresolved issues and challenges regarding the interaction and biological effects of heavy metals. Therefore, this volume provides relevant, state-of-the-art findings on environmental phytotoxicity and the mechanisms of such interactions at the cellular and molecular levels. This volume consists of chapters on relevant topics contributed by different experts or group of experts so as to make available a comprehensive treatise designed to provide an in-depth analysis of heavy metals phytotoxicity. This book may serve as a reference to scientists, researchers and students in the fields of toxicology, environmental toxicology, phytotoxicology, plant biology, plant physiology, plant biochemistry and plant molecular biology, and especially those interested in heavy metals toxicology.

Cancer risk factors include exposure to certain substances, which may contribute to the development of cancer. However, substances can have different levels of cancer-causing potential, and the risk of developing cancer is dependent on several factors, including individual genetic background and the amount and duration of the exposure. This book focuses on various cancer risk factors, covering numerous known, probable, and possible carcinogens; their role in carcinogenesis; mechanisms of carcinogenicity; and methods for detecting carcinogens. And due to the growing concerns over the effects that substances and environmental exposures can have on human health, the chapters also emphasize on the vital need for further topic-related research as well as development and implementation of beneficial approaches.

Biochemical Toxicology - Heavy Metals and Nanomaterials provides an overview of biochemical contamination, nanomaterials and toxic metals, and measurement techniques. It explains and clarifies important studies and compares and develops new and groundbreaking measurement techniques in the fields of organic and inorganic pollution and nanoscience. It is highly recommended for professionals and readers interested in the environment and human health.

Essentials of Toxicology for Health Protection is a key handbook and course reader for all health protection professionals. It covers the basics of toxicology and its application to issues of topical concern including contaminated land, water pollution and traditional medicines.

This special publication looks at metals in a New Zealand context and is multidisciplinary in scope. Natural and anthropogenic sources of metal contaminants are identified, specific case studies are presented, and effects upon ecology and human health are explored. The book is over 400 pages long and consists of 23 chapters from some of NZ's pre-eminent scientists in the fields of metals and their effects. Contributions by overseas scientists adds a truly global perspective. This book is directed at professionals and post-graduates in the fields of Earth, Environmental and Health Sciences.

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.

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.

This volume of Current Topics in Membranes focuses on metal transmembrane transporters and pumps, a recently discovered family of membrane proteins with many important roles in the physiology of living organisms. The book summarizes the most recent advances in the field of metal ion transport and provides a broad overview of the major classes of transporters involved in homeostasis of heavy metals. Various families of the transporters and metal specificities are discussed with the focus on the structural and mechanistic aspects of their function and regulation. The reader will access information obtained through a variety of approaches ranging from X-ray crystallography to cell biology and bioinformatics, which have been applied to transporters identified in diverse biological systems, such as pathogenic bacteria, plants, humans and others. Field is cutting-edge and a lot of the information is new to research community Wide breadth of topic coverage Contributors of high renown and expertise