ENSC 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Fluorine, Speciation, Artisanal Mining
16 Aug 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Metals such as zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead. Inorganic elements may be natural toxicants example: bangladesh and other parts of asia: millions of people exposed to toxic levels of arsenic in drinking water, natural source, exposure tor ate types of cancer (stomach, bladder) Metals or inorganic elements may be essential for good health, some are toxic. Example: zinc essential at low concentrations, but generally non-toxic for humans. Quite toxic to fish: lead considered toxic to humans, possibly even at very low concentrations, selenium, fluorine essential at low concentrations, toxic at high concentrations. Natural concentration of metals and regulations zinc: can be high in natural rocks, soil developed in rocks may also be high in metals, plants may uptake metals (pathway of exposure. Metal mind effluent regulations (designed to protect fish) Humans are more tolerant of zinc than fish. Mining involves crushing rocks and exposing them to oxygen and water: mobilized by mining.
