Copper and lead as environmental pollutant and their elemental toxicity – a review

Abstract

Pollutants are substances in the environment with potential objectionable effects leading to impairment of the welfare of environment, interfering with the quality of life that may eventually result to the organisms being affected. The aim here was to give summary of the review of the toxicity of Copper and Zinc as pollutants in the environment, be it air, water or soil, which may be poisonous and will cause harm to living organisms in the polluted environment. The elemental concentration of sediment therefore and its bioavailability not only depends on anthropogenic and lithogenic sources, but also on organic matter, physical (textural) characteristics as well as mineralogical composition and depositional environment of sediments. Copper causes toxicity and hazards in flora, fauna and human beings. It causes a disease called ‘Wilson’s disease. Excessive exposure to Cu may cause haemolysis, hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects. Mucosal irritation, corrosion, widespread capillary damage, hepatic and renal damage and central nervous system irritation are some of the dysfunctions consequent to Cu exposure. Among the various means through which lead toxicity occurs are; the ionic mechanism and the oxidative stress. Several studies indicated that oxidative stress in living cells is caused by the imbalance between the production of free radicals and the generation of antioxidants to detoxify the relative intermediates or to repair the resulting damage.