Pb and Hg have been reported as mutagenic agents in plants. Interestingly, Pb and Hg rank first among the most harmful metals to plants, followed by Cu, Cd/As, Co/Ni, and Mn. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, among the 10 most hazardous substances to human health, four are toxic metals: Pb, Hg, As, and Cd. Some metals have been classified as toxic, persistent, and accumulative elements. Nonessential HM which affect the surface water systems are Cd, chromium (Cr), Hg, Pb, As, and antimony (Sb). However, in the case of essential metals and very toxic metals, excessive levels and, respectively, even small doses influence both the ecosystem and human health. Living organisms require small doses of some essential HM, including cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), strontium (Sr), and zinc (Zn). HM and their ions are ubiquitous and by definition are metals having atomic weights between 63.5 and 200.6 g mol −1 and specific gravity greater than 5 g cm −3. Heavy metals are generated as a result of anthropogenic activities such as metal-working industries, cement factories, mining industry, smelting plants, refineries, and traffic and heating systems. Heavy metals (HM) and metalloid such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and aluminum (Al) are major environmental pollutants, particularly in industrial areas. Human activity generates increasing amounts of new compounds that are released into the environment without prior knowledge of their potential toxicity or impact in living organisms. *Address all correspondence to: Introduction Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ambientales, Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Autonomous University of Morelos State, Mexico.Laboratorio de Fisiología Molecular de Plantas, Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Autonomous University of Morelos State, Mexico.Laboratorio de Marcadores Moleculares, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Autonomous University of Morelos State, Mexico.Also, we will assess the importance of using different biomarkers on biosensors. In this chapter, we will analyze bacteria, small mammals, some plant species, and lichens as biosensors for environmental metal pollution. Therefore, different organisms may serve as biosensors to estimate detrimental effects of metal pollution. Wildlife is chronically exposed to complex metal mixtures in which effects on ecosystem health are difficult to assess. Among chemical pollutants, heavy metals are among the most toxic elements to nearly all living organisms. Biosensors or organisms that integrate exposure to pollutants in their environment and which respond in some measurable and predictable way are useful tools to study the extent of chemical pollution and its consequences across levels of biological organization. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study the negative effects of xenobiotics, specifically chemical agents. The environment is continuously loaded with xenobiotics released by anthropogenic activities that pollute ecosystems, putting their integrity at risk. The use of biosensors for biomonitoring environmental health has gained much attention in the last decades.
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