Major soil pollutants and their effect on human health

Metal

Source

Effects

Arsenic

occurs naturally

Chronic poisoning leads to a loss of appetite and weight, diarrhea, alternating with constipation, gastro intestinal disturbances, peripheral neuritis, conjunctivitis and sometimes skin cancer

Cadmium

mining, metallurgy chemical industry and electroplating

leads to chronic poisoning and affects the proximal tubules of the kidney, causing formation of kidney stones

Lead

lead smelters storage battery

lead poisoning can lead to severe mental retardation or death

Mercury

industrial wastes

methyl mercury compounds are much more toxic than other forms of mercury, causes neurological problems and damages renal glomeruli and tubules

Cyanides

wastes from heat treatment of metals, dismantling of electroplating shops, etc.

rapid death may follow due to exposure to cyanide as a result of inhibition of cellular respiration