Heavy Metals: Transport in Plants and Their Physiological and Toxicological Effects

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution in the environment is becoming a serious problem and a major concern as it is causes negative effects all over the world. These inorganic pollutants are being discarded in soils, water and the atmosphere as a result of rapidly growing agriculture and metal industries, improper waste disposal, pesticides and fertilisers. This chapter explains how these pollutants enter our environment and cause serious diseases such as cancer by interfering with biological functions and accumulating in various organs. This chapter also describes the toxicological and pharmacokinetic properties of metals and their translocation in the plant, some biochemical properties and physiological effects of such metals in humans as well as in plants. © The Editor(s)(if applicable) and The Author(s),under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.