Heavy Metal Toxicology

Heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, and arsenic may be found in some foods. Mercury, occurring in some fish as methylmercury, at sufficiently high dose exposures, has been associated with human fetal brain malformations and severe brain disorders. Cadmium found in some foods near ore mining sites poses a risk, in sufficiently high doses, of chronic renal dysfunction, bone disease, and hypertension. Arsenic found in some seafood and wine typically in seafood exists as a nontoxic organic form of arsenic. In areas with high well water arsenic, peripheral vascular disease, cancer, and some other disorders have been reported. Avoidance of heavy metals in foods requires knowledge of the sources and types of foods to decrease exposure to such metals via consumption of foods.