The impact on long-term health
You can contract metal toxicity, otherwise known as heavy metal poisoning, through breathing, ingesting and skin exposure to heavy metals. Everyone faces exposure to microscopic amounts of heavy metals daily, mainly through environmental air or water pollution, or the food they eat. The risks become higher when individuals are constantly exposed to heavy metals in the workplace. Long-term, consistent exposure could lead to various health issues.
Which heavy metals are dangerous?
Don’t immediately be alarmed when thinking of heavy metals. Your body contains iron, zinc, chromium, copper and manganese in minute amounts, which are vital to bodily function, and only an accumulated concentration of these causes harm. Others found in trace amounts in your body serve cellular purposes — cobalt, selenium and nickel pose no threat in their usual quantities. Every heavy metal can be potentially dangerous to humans, but ones listed here aren’t normally hazardous.
When high concentrations of nonessential heavy metals appear in your body, metal toxicity can occur. You already likely know how dangerous arsenic is, and lead, mercury and cadmium are other toxic heavy metals commonly linked to heavy metal poisoning in humans. If these appear in the body in high enough doses, no matter how they arrive there, urgent treatment is necessary.
For this reason, working with hazardous metals in mines, factory floors and warehouse environments means employers must create a safety mindset among staff. Wearing personal protective clothing like gloves, fireproof jackets, heavy-duty footwear and helmets and handling hazardous materials according to designated safety protocols reduces the chances of contamination, illness or injury.
Heavy metals naturally originate from the Earth’s crust and can appear in medication, poorly coated food holders, older water systems, and even some bird and wildlife species.
What is the impact of metal toxicity on your health?
Although contracting metal toxicity isn’t common, it is a real and dangerous ailment.
Short-term symptoms
If you contract metal toxicity, you could experience abdominal pains, diarrhea, chills, dehydration, body aches, ticks, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms could accompany feelings of weakness, a scratchy throat and numbness or a pins-and-needles feeling in your hands and feet. Should you experience some of these symptoms together, seek medical care immediately.
Long-term symptoms
Experiencing arrhythmia — an abnormal heartbeat — or memory loss and difficulty breathing after the short-term symptoms are more advanced warning signs of heavy metal poisoning. Accumulating enough untreated heavy metals in your body to reach this point means you could face serious issues such as the chance of kidney or liver damage or even cancer.
Take immediate action if necessary
The implications of delaying treatment for metal toxicity are potentially dire and even life-threatening. Act immediately if you suspect exposure through your work or other means, or experience any early metal toxicity warning symptoms. The sooner you seek emergency medical care, the sooner you can treat the issue.
