When "Heavy Metal" Means Something Other than Music

28 octombrie 2025

3 min de lectură

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Everyone has heard of “heavy metals.” Many people know about their toxicity, but few understand much more than that. What heavy metals do we encounter daily, and what are the consequences?

Concluzii cheie

Everyone has heard of “heavy metals.” Many people know about their toxicity, but few understand much more than that.
Necessary but dangerous
Aluminum

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Persoane care explorează Healthy lifestyle prin intermediul food poisoning, toxins.

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Autorul articolului

Dr. Helga

general practitioner

Necessary but dangerous

Heavy metals are chemical elements in the environment, food, and the body. Some of them, such as zinc, chromium, cobalt, and copper, are necessary for health, but excess can harm health. Most often, heavy metal poisoning is diagnosed in workers of specific industries, but other people can be at risk as well under various circumstances.

Aluminum

This is one of the most common metals in the home. It makes dishes, foil, window frames, and beer cans. It is also used to filter water and is even added to some vaccines. Aluminum is found in tea, processed cheese, lentils, and food leavening agents, but a person cannot get a dose dangerous to health from food and domestic products.

Lead

Lead and its alloys are used to manufacture sliding bearings, batteries, and electronic parts. They are also found in food, especially canned food and predatory fish. Lead can also be vaporized from old buildings once painted with lead paint. Too much lead in the body leads to anemia and damage to the hematopoietic system, kidneys, and brain.

Cadmium

Cadmium is used in jewelry alloys and batteries, such as those for pacemakers. But most often, poisoning by this very toxic metal is observed in smokers, as one cigarette contains 1-2 mcg of cadmium, and the maximum is absorbed through the lungs.

Cobalt

Cobalt is part of vitamin B12 and is found in many foods, including shellfish, fish, meat, eggs, leafy greens, and milk. It is necessary to synthesize DNA, hematopoiesis processes, and the nervous system. Excess cobalt can cause a violation of iodine metabolism. Cobalt poisoning is usually caused by taking vitamin B12 in large doses or destroying orthopedic implants, which often contain this metal.

Copper

Copper is a component of many vital proteins and enzymes in forming hemoglobin, connective tissue, and the nervous system; however, it is toxic in large quantities. The most common way to ingest too much copper is to use copper cookware with a damaged coating frequently.

Nickel

Nickel is the most allergenic metal, causing contact dermatitis. It is also found almost everywhere: accessories, jewelry, smartphones, eyeglass frames, and cutlery. Nickel is also found in cashew nuts, cocoa powder, soy products, and peas.

Mercury

Once in the body, mercury takes several months to be excreted. Excessive amounts harm the nervous system and brain. Mercury often enters the seas from industrial waste. Bacteria convert it into the highly toxic methylmercury that shellfish and fish ingest, especially sharks, bluefin tuna, and mackerel.

Mercury itself is not as poisonous as its vapor. A broken mercury thermometer should not be thrown in the trash. Call emergency services for disposal and ventilate the area.

Disturbing symptoms

Heavy metal poisoning has both general and specific symptoms. General symptoms include digestive disorders, abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea, vomiting, pale skin, shortness of breath, and palpitations. Chronic poisoning may cause hair loss, brittle nails, stomatitis, central nervous system disorders, and kidney and liver damage.

Mercury poisoning can also cause swelling and bleeding gums, a metallic taste in the mouth, diarrhea with blood, and breathing problems.

Lead intoxication causes bluish-gray streaks at the edges of the gums, pale and gray skin, decreased blood pressure, slower heart rate, and impaired coordination of movements.

Cadmium poisoning can damage the nasopharyngeal mucosa and cause weakness, shortness of breath, pain when breathing, coughing, fever, cyanosis, pneumonia, and other lung diseases.

If you suspect heavy metal poisoning, it is worth getting tested. Heavy metals can be detected in a blood sample, urine, hair, or nails.

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