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Environmental Contamination by Heavy Metals

In: Heavy Metals

Author

Listed:
  • Vhahangwele Masindi
  • Khathutshelo Lilith Muedi

Abstract

The environment and its compartments have been severely polluted by heavy metals. This has compromised the ability of the environment to foster life and render its intrinsic values. Heavy metals are known to be naturally occurring compounds, but anthropogenic activities introduce them in large quantities in different environmental compartments. This leads to the environment's ability to foster life being reduced as human, animal, and plant health become threatened. This occurs due to bioaccumulation in the food chains as a result of the nondegradable state of the heavy metals. Remediation of heavy metals requires special attention to protect soil quality, air quality, water quality, human health, animal health, and all spheres as a collection. Developed physical and chemical heavy metal remediation technologies are demanding costs which are not feasible, time-consuming, and release additional waste to the environment. This chapter summarises the problems related to heavy metal pollution and various remediation technologies. A case study in South Africa mines were also used.

Suggested Citation

  • Vhahangwele Masindi & Khathutshelo Lilith Muedi, 2018. "Environmental Contamination by Heavy Metals," Chapters, in: Hosam M. Saleh & Refaat Fekry Eid Sayed (ed.), Heavy Metals, IntechOpen.
    • Handle: RePEc:ito:pchaps:134992
    DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.76082
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Rohit Babu & Saurav Raj & Bugatha Ram Vara Prasad, 2021. "A Review at the Utilization of Renewable Energy in an Agricultural Operation," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 6(4), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Nayeli Montalvo-Romero & Aarón Montiel-Rosales & Gregorio Fernández-Lambert & Fabiola Sánchez-Galván & Horacio Bautista-Santos, 2021. "Tactical Innovation to Incorporate Post-Consumer Expanded Polystyrene in Artisanal Chains for the Doping of Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Olesia Havryliuk & Vira Hovorukha & Iryna Bida & Yanina Danko & Galina Gladka & Oleg Zakutevsky & Ruslan Mariychuk & Oleksandr Tashyrev, 2022. "Bioremediation of Copper- and Chromium-Contaminated Soils Using Agrostis capillaris L., Festuca pratensis Huds., and Poa pratensis L. Mixture of Lawn Grasses," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-14, April.
    4. Suvorov, Nicolae & Stancu, Alina, 2021. "Environmental Residues and Contaminants," Western Balkan Journal of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (WBJAERD), Institute of Agricultural Economics, vol. 3(1), June.
    5. Noomene Sleimi & Insaf Bankaji & Rim Kouki & Nesrine Dridi & Bernardo Duarte & Isabel Caçador, 2022. "Assessment of Extraction Methods of Trace Metallic Elements in Plants: Approval of a Common Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-13, January.
    6. Krzysztof M. Rostański, 2021. "Contaminated Areas as Recreational Places—Exploring the Validity of the Decisions Taken in the Development of Antonia Hill in Ruda Śląska, Poland," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-20, October.
    7. Farheen Nazli & Adnan Mustafa & Maqshoof Ahmad & Azhar Hussain & Moazzam Jamil & Xiukang Wang & Qaiser Shakeel & Muhammad Imtiaz & Mohamed A. El-Esawi, 2020. "A Review on Practical Application and Potentials of Phytohormone-Producing Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria for Inducing Heavy Metal Tolerance in Crops," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-24, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    heavy metals; environment; contamination; legal requirements; pollution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation

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