Effect of Soil Heavy Metal Contamination on Incidence of Nervous System Disorders

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Abstract

Human activities in industrialized economies lead to soil contamination with highly neurotoxic heavy metals accumulating in body tissues. Given the urgent environmental issue of heavy metal accumulation in soil and their toxicity to humans, the aim of the study was to analyse the available scientific data on their neurotoxicity. To achieve this aim, evidence-based papers from the relevant open databases over the past five years have been reviewed. According to scientific evidence, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury are considered the most common neurotoxic metals that pollute the soil. The heavy metal toxicity to nervous tissue has various mechanisms, such as the impairment of the cell cycle and metabolism and blood-brain barrier disruption. This leads to structural degeneration of the central nervous system. Cadmium, lead, mercury, and chromium can affect the development and functions of the nervous system, resulting in neurotoxicity that can be fatal in cases of acute poisoning. Screening, identification of populations with the increased risk of metal poisoning, and primary prevention in environmentally unfavourable areas are the appropriate actions to solve the problem of heavy metal contamination of the soil and their adverse effect on the body.

About the authors

Gulnara A. Batyrova

West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: g.batyrova@zkmu.kz
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7970-4059
SPIN-code: 8584-5024

PhD

Kazakhstan, Aktobe

Gulmira A. Umarova

West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University

Email: uga_80@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7637-113X
SPIN-code: 9146-3959

PhD

Kazakhstan, Aktobe

Saltanat T. Urazayeva

West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University

Email: s.urazaeva@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4773-0807

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine)

Kazakhstan, Aktobe

Umbetali K. Sarsembin

K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University

Email: umbetali_s.k@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0796-3737

PhD

Kazakhstan, Aktobe

Assel N. Issaldinova

West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University

Email: aselisaldinova@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4843-5823

Master of the Educational program

Kazakhstan, Aktobe

Gulaim E. Taskozhina

West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University

Email: g.taskozhina@zkmu.kz
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3922-0054

PhD Student

Kazakhstan, Aktobe

Zhamilia X. Issanguzhina

West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University

Email: gamilia0452@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7557-8486

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine)

Kazakhstan, Aktobe

Yeskendir A. Umarov

West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University

Email: eskendir.um@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5661-4023

Master of the Natural Sciences

Kazakhstan, Aktobe

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