Table 1.

Negative effects associated with heavy-metal exposure and toxicity

Metal	Negative effects of:a		Reference(s)
	Acute toxicity	Chronic toxicity
Arsenic	Bloody urine, GI discomfort, diarrhea, headaches, vomiting, convulsions, coma, and death	Skin lesions, blisters, Blackfoot disease; organ failure/damage; diabetes; cancer and mutagenic properties	18, 44, 49, 109
Cadmium	Hepatic, pulmonary, and testicular injury	Renal and bone injury (osteoporosis); carcinoma (primarily prostate and renal); toxicity to other organs	63, 89, 119
Chromium	Vomiting and diarrhea; hemorrhage and blood loss in GI Tract	Liver/kidney necrosis; skin ulcers, “chrome holes,” irritative dermatitis; ulceration and perforation of the nasal septum; nasal, pharyngeal, and gastrointestinal carcinomas	20, 126
Lead	Neurobehavioral problems: impulsivity, distractibility, and short attention span; mild fatigue; headaches, nausea, vomiting	Antisocial behaviors; impaired hemoglobin synthesis; impaired renal function; deafness, blindness, retardation; decreased IQ, memory loss; decreased libido, fatigue	5, 37, 65, 83, 95
Mercury	Impaired neurodevelopment; loss of IQ; decrease in memory, attention, language, and visual-spatial perception tests; associations with autism and ALS	Impaired neurodevelopment; loss of IQ; decrease in memory, attention, language, and visual-spatial perception tests; associations with autism and ALS	33, 38, 48, 57, 84

^aALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.