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Heavy Metal Pollutants in Wastewater Effluents: Sources, Effects and Remediation

Received: 23 September 2014    Accepted: 10 October 2014    Published: 10 November 2014
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Abstract

Heavy metals, also known as trace metals, are one of the most persistent pollutants in wastewater. The discharge of high amounts of heavy metals into water bodies leads to several environmental and health impacts. The exposure of humans to heavy metals can occur through a variety of routes, which include inhalation as dust or fume, vapourisation and ingestion through food and drink. Some negative impacts of heavy metals to aquatic ecosystems include death of aquatic life, algal blooms, habitat destruction from sedimentation, debris, increased water flow, other short and long term toxicity from chemical contaminants. Abundant amounts of heavy metals present in soils cause reduction in quality and quantity of food preventing plants’ growth, uptake of nutrients, physiological and metabolic processes. Severe effects on animals may include reduced growth and development, cancer, organ damage, nervous system damage, and in extreme cases, death. To help mitigate the negative impacts of heavy metals on the health of humans, animals and the environment, a variety of remediation processes exists. These remediation processes are broadly classified into chemical and biological, although the latter is advocated in recent years. Biological remediation processes (microbial remediation and phytoremediation) are indicated to be very effective in the treatment of heavy metal pollutants in wastewater. Microbial remediation is the restoration of the environment and its quality using microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, protozoan and algae while phytoremediation is the use of plants to degrade or accumulate toxic metals, thereby leading to a reduction in the bioavailability of the contaminant in the soil or water. This paper was therefore aimed at reviewing the sources, impacts and remediation processes for heavy metals in wastewater.

Published in Advances in Bioscience and Bioengineering (Volume 2, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.abb.20140204.11
Page(s) 37-43
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Heavy Metals, Remediation, Wastewater

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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Oghenerobor Benjamin Akpor, Gladys Onolunose Ohiobor, Tomilola Debby Olaolu. (2014). Heavy Metal Pollutants in Wastewater Effluents: Sources, Effects and Remediation. Advances in Bioscience and Bioengineering, 2(4), 37-43. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.abb.20140204.11

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    ACS Style

    Oghenerobor Benjamin Akpor; Gladys Onolunose Ohiobor; Tomilola Debby Olaolu. Heavy Metal Pollutants in Wastewater Effluents: Sources, Effects and Remediation. Adv. BioSci. Bioeng. 2014, 2(4), 37-43. doi: 10.11648/j.abb.20140204.11

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    AMA Style

    Oghenerobor Benjamin Akpor, Gladys Onolunose Ohiobor, Tomilola Debby Olaolu. Heavy Metal Pollutants in Wastewater Effluents: Sources, Effects and Remediation. Adv BioSci Bioeng. 2014;2(4):37-43. doi: 10.11648/j.abb.20140204.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.abb.20140204.11,
      author = {Oghenerobor Benjamin Akpor and Gladys Onolunose Ohiobor and Tomilola Debby Olaolu},
      title = {Heavy Metal Pollutants in Wastewater Effluents: Sources, Effects and Remediation},
      journal = {Advances in Bioscience and Bioengineering},
      volume = {2},
      number = {4},
      pages = {37-43},
      doi = {10.11648/j.abb.20140204.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.abb.20140204.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.abb.20140204.11},
      abstract = {Heavy metals, also known as trace metals, are one of the most persistent pollutants in wastewater. The discharge of high amounts of heavy metals into water bodies leads to several environmental and health impacts. The exposure of humans to heavy metals can occur through a variety of routes, which include inhalation as dust or fume, vapourisation and ingestion through food and drink. Some negative impacts of heavy metals to aquatic ecosystems include death of aquatic life, algal blooms, habitat destruction from sedimentation, debris, increased water flow, other short and long term toxicity from chemical contaminants. Abundant amounts of heavy metals present in soils cause reduction in quality and quantity of food preventing plants’ growth, uptake of nutrients, physiological and metabolic processes. Severe effects on animals may include reduced growth and development, cancer, organ damage, nervous system damage, and in extreme cases, death. To help mitigate the negative impacts of heavy metals on the health of humans, animals and the environment, a variety of remediation processes exists. These remediation processes are broadly classified into chemical and biological, although the latter is advocated in recent years. Biological remediation processes (microbial remediation and phytoremediation) are indicated to be very effective in the treatment of heavy metal pollutants in wastewater. Microbial remediation is the restoration of the environment and its quality using microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, protozoan and algae while phytoremediation is the use of plants to degrade or accumulate toxic metals, thereby leading to a reduction in the bioavailability of the contaminant in the soil or water. This paper was therefore aimed at reviewing the sources, impacts and remediation processes for heavy metals in wastewater.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Heavy Metal Pollutants in Wastewater Effluents: Sources, Effects and Remediation
    AU  - Oghenerobor Benjamin Akpor
    AU  - Gladys Onolunose Ohiobor
    AU  - Tomilola Debby Olaolu
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.abb.20140204.11
    T2  - Advances in Bioscience and Bioengineering
    JF  - Advances in Bioscience and Bioengineering
    JO  - Advances in Bioscience and Bioengineering
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-4162
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.abb.20140204.11
    AB  - Heavy metals, also known as trace metals, are one of the most persistent pollutants in wastewater. The discharge of high amounts of heavy metals into water bodies leads to several environmental and health impacts. The exposure of humans to heavy metals can occur through a variety of routes, which include inhalation as dust or fume, vapourisation and ingestion through food and drink. Some negative impacts of heavy metals to aquatic ecosystems include death of aquatic life, algal blooms, habitat destruction from sedimentation, debris, increased water flow, other short and long term toxicity from chemical contaminants. Abundant amounts of heavy metals present in soils cause reduction in quality and quantity of food preventing plants’ growth, uptake of nutrients, physiological and metabolic processes. Severe effects on animals may include reduced growth and development, cancer, organ damage, nervous system damage, and in extreme cases, death. To help mitigate the negative impacts of heavy metals on the health of humans, animals and the environment, a variety of remediation processes exists. These remediation processes are broadly classified into chemical and biological, although the latter is advocated in recent years. Biological remediation processes (microbial remediation and phytoremediation) are indicated to be very effective in the treatment of heavy metal pollutants in wastewater. Microbial remediation is the restoration of the environment and its quality using microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, protozoan and algae while phytoremediation is the use of plants to degrade or accumulate toxic metals, thereby leading to a reduction in the bioavailability of the contaminant in the soil or water. This paper was therefore aimed at reviewing the sources, impacts and remediation processes for heavy metals in wastewater.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Microbiology Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, Landmark University, Omu- Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria

  • Microbiology Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, Landmark University, Omu- Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria

  • Biochemistry Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, Landmark University, Omu- Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria

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