Health effects of heavy metal pollution in water

Abstract

The number of pollutants we are dealing with is growing rapidly, both in number and variety. Within this foreign material, heavy metals stand out for their ability to interact with biological molecules, but what exactly do they do once they enter the body? Even when they are necessary in small quantities by various physiological processes, they tend to accumulate in the body faster than they can be metabolized. The main route of entry of heavy metals is through the diet and presenting greater availability when were solubilized in water or when ingesting marine foods because exist a phenomenon called bioaccumulation. Among the most common metals found in water bodies are lead and cadmium, each one generates different illnesses by generating biochemical and physiological alterations in organisms. Therefore, the objective of this work is document the alterations caused by exposure to heavy metals through the food chain, starting with contamination in bodies of water and ending with human food.