Table 16.2 (continued)
Types of
pollutants
Harmful effects on human beings and animals
References
Inorganic pollutants
Aluminium
Aluminosis (pneumoconiosis followed by
pulmonary fibrosis), neurotoxicity, Alzheimer’s
disease and breast cancer
Klotz et al. (2017)
Iron
Nausea, abdominal pain, seizure,
cardiomyopathy, hepatic fibrosis, impotency,
arthropathy, hereditary hemochromatosis,
thalassemia, bone marrow failure and
myelodysplastic syndrome
Zhang et al. (2015a, b)
Magnesium
Low blood pressure, nausea, diarrhoea,
abdominal cramping and calcium deficiency
Institute of Medicine,
Washington (1997)
Manganese
Low blood pressure, violent behaviour,
hallucinations, schizophrenia, insomnia,
muscle tremors, loss of appetite, apathy,
dystonia, hypokinesia, lung disease,
pneumonitis, impaired pulmonary and vascular
function, improper foetus development and
brain damage
Aschner et al. (2005)
Zinc
Dizziness, muscular cramps, vomiting, fatigue
and renal damage
Yadav et al. (2017)
Copper
Stomach and intestine irritation, liver cirrhosis,
brain and kidney damage and chronic anaemia
Yadav et al. (2017)
Cobalt
Diarrhoea, low blood pressure and paralysis
Yadav et al. (2017)
Nickel
Allergies; immunotoxic, neurotoxic,
teratogenic, carcinogenic, genotoxic and
mutagenic; lung cancer, infertility and hair loss
Yadav et al. (2017)
Barium
Muscle twitching, high blood pressure,
respiratory failure, gastrointestinal dysfunction
and cardiac arrhythmias
Yadav et al. (2017)
Cadmium
Acute exposure: Abdominal pain,
gastrointestinal tract erosion, burning sensation,
nausea, vomiting, salivation, muscle cramps,
itai-itai disease, vertigo, shock, loss of
consciousness, hepatic injury and coma
Chronic exposure: Depression, DNA damage
and cell death
Bharagava et al. (2020),
Hassaan et al. (2016)
Chromium
Skin and nasal irritations, ulceration, eardrum
perforation and lung cancer
Bharagava et al. (2020),
Hassaan et al. (2016)
Arsenic
Melanosis, black foot disease, polyneuropathy,
encephalopathy, disorder of cardiovascular and
central nervous system, hemolysis,
hepatomegaly, bone marrow depression and
death
Jomova et al. (2011)
Lead
Headache, loss of memory, confusion, reduced
consciousness, irritation, encephalopathy, acute
psychosis and malfunctioning of kidneys, liver,
Bharagava et al. (2020),
Hassaan et al. (2016)
(continued)
16 Causes, Effects and Sustainable Approaches to Remediate Contaminated Soil
469
Types of
pollutants
Harmful effects on human beings and animals
References
Inorganic pollutants
Aluminium
Aluminosis (pneumoconiosis followed by
pulmonary fibrosis), neurotoxicity, Alzheimer’s
disease and breast cancer
Klotz et al. (2017)
Iron
Nausea, abdominal pain, seizure,
cardiomyopathy, hepatic fibrosis, impotency,
arthropathy, hereditary hemochromatosis,
thalassemia, bone marrow failure and
myelodysplastic syndrome
Zhang et al. (2015a, b)
Magnesium
Low blood pressure, nausea, diarrhoea,
abdominal cramping and calcium deficiency
Institute of Medicine,
Washington (1997)
Manganese
Low blood pressure, violent behaviour,
hallucinations, schizophrenia, insomnia,
muscle tremors, loss of appetite, apathy,
dystonia, hypokinesia, lung disease,
pneumonitis, impaired pulmonary and vascular
function, improper foetus development and
brain damage
Aschner et al. (2005)
Zinc
Dizziness, muscular cramps, vomiting, fatigue
and renal damage
Yadav et al. (2017)
Copper
Stomach and intestine irritation, liver cirrhosis,
brain and kidney damage and chronic anaemia
Yadav et al. (2017)
Cobalt
Diarrhoea, low blood pressure and paralysis
Yadav et al. (2017)
Nickel
Allergies; immunotoxic, neurotoxic,
teratogenic, carcinogenic, genotoxic and
mutagenic; lung cancer, infertility and hair loss
Yadav et al. (2017)
Barium
Muscle twitching, high blood pressure,
respiratory failure, gastrointestinal dysfunction
and cardiac arrhythmias
Yadav et al. (2017)
Cadmium
Acute exposure: Abdominal pain,
gastrointestinal tract erosion, burning sensation,
nausea, vomiting, salivation, muscle cramps,
itai-itai disease, vertigo, shock, loss of
consciousness, hepatic injury and coma
Chronic exposure: Depression, DNA damage
and cell death
Bharagava et al. (2020),
Hassaan et al. (2016)
Chromium
Skin and nasal irritations, ulceration, eardrum
perforation and lung cancer
Bharagava et al. (2020),
Hassaan et al. (2016)
Arsenic
Melanosis, black foot disease, polyneuropathy,
encephalopathy, disorder of cardiovascular and
central nervous system, hemolysis,
hepatomegaly, bone marrow depression and
death
Jomova et al. (2011)
Lead
Headache, loss of memory, confusion, reduced
consciousness, irritation, encephalopathy, acute
psychosis and malfunctioning of kidneys, liver,
Bharagava et al. (2020),
Hassaan et al. (2016)
(continued)
16 Causes, Effects and Sustainable Approaches to Remediate Contaminated Soil
469