Food security is a major concern that requires sustained advancement both statistically and on the basis of Qualitative assessment. In recent years, antagonistic impacts of unforeseen toxins have impacted the quality of crops and have created a burden on human lives. Heavy metals (e.g., Hg, As, Pb, Cd, and Cr) can affect humans, adding to dreariness and in severe cases even death. It additionally investigates the conceivable geological routes of heavy metals in the surrounding subsystems. The top-to-the-bottom conversation is additionally offered on physiological/atomic movement systems engaged with the take-up of metallic foreign substances inside food crops. At long last, the board procedures are proposed to recapture maintainability in soil–food subsystems. This paper reflects the contamination of the food crops with heavy metals, the way of transport of heavy metal to food crops, degree of toxicity after consumption and the strategies to maintain the problem.
Part of the book: Environmental Impact and Remediation of Heavy Metals
Water has become a major threat in today’s world. Collection of heavy metals, a few of them, is potentially toxic and these get distributed to different areas through different pathways. With an increase in the earth’s population, development and industrialization are taking place rapidly and these get the major source of water contamination. With heavy metals in lakes, rivers, groundwater, and various water sources, water gets polluted by the increased concentration of heavy metals and metalloids through release from the suddenly mine tailings, disposal of high metal wastes, growing industrial areas, leaded gasoline and paints, usage of fertilizers inland, animal manures, E-waste, sewage sludge, pesticides, wastewater irrigation, coal, etc. Exposure to heavy metals has been linked to chronic and acute toxicity, which develops retardation; neurotoxicity can damage the kidneys, lead to the development of different cancers, damage the liver and lungs; bones can become fragile; and there are even chances of death in case of huge amount of exposure. This chapter mainly focuses on heavy metal pollution in water and its toxic effect on living organisms.
Part of the book: The Toxicity of Environmental Pollutants