Clinical and Forensic Signs Resulting from Exposure to Heavy Metals and Other Chemical Elements of the Periodic Table.

Autor: de Carvalho Machado C; Department of Public Health and Forensic Sciences, and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal., Dinis-Oliveira RJ; Department of Public Health and Forensic Sciences, and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.; TOXRUN-Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences (IUCS), CESPU, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal.; UCIBIO-REQUIMTE-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.; MTG Research and Development Lab, 4200-604 Porto, Portugal.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of clinical medicine [J Clin Med] 2023 Mar 29; Vol. 12 (7). Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Mar 29.
DOI: 10.3390/jcm12072591
Abstrakt: Several heavy metals and other chemical elements are natural components of the Earth's crust and their properties and toxicity have been recognized for thousands of years. Moreover, their use in industries presents a major source of environmental and occupational pollution. Therefore, this ubiquity in daily life may result in several potential exposures coming from natural sources (e.g., through food and water contamination), industrial processes, and commercial products, among others. The toxicity of most chemical elements of the periodic table accrues from their highly reactive nature, resulting in the formation of complexes with intracellular compounds that impair cellular pathways, leading to dysfunction, necrosis, and apoptosis. Nervous, gastrointestinal, hematopoietic, renal, and dermatological systems are the main targets. This manuscript aims to collect the clinical and forensic signs related to poisoning from heavy metals, such as thallium, lead, copper, mercury, iron, cadmium, and bismuth, as well as other chemical elements such as arsenic, selenium, and fluorine. Furthermore, their main sources of occupational and environmental exposure are highlighted in this review. The importance of rapid recognition is related to the fact that, through a high degree of suspicion, the clinician could rapidly initiate treatment even before the toxicological results are available, which can make a huge difference in these patients' outcomes.
Databáze: MEDLINE
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