Abstract

Toxic elements can contaminate edible crops either from water (rainfall, wastewater…), air (atmospheric dust, aerial delivery of pesticides, industrial and mine activities, heavy traTic ways, chemtrails…), and soil (contaminated site, industrial and mine activities…). Many transition metals are essential to many enzymatic and proteomic biochemistry, these metal ions being susceptible of being replaced by the toxic ones that bear similar chemical properties. They all end up in human bodies with various nefarious consequences. Metal uptake by roots of the edible crops is dependent on the metal chemistry and its speciation according to redox and pH conditions of the soil, the plants in question and the soil geology. Some chemistry theory concerning acids and bases, very easy to grasp, are presented in order to understand how some metal ions and metalloids can be more tenacious to be detoxified in our body than others, that are excreted easier. These considerations are stated in the Pearson’s Hard and Soft Acids and Bases Theory (HSAB), where soft Lewis acids and bases are relatively large, polarizable atoms, ions, and molecules and hard Lewis acids and bases are relatively small and less polarizable, explaining the synthetic and natural molecules structure acting as antidotes for intoxication chelation treatment and prevention. Some chemical antidotes for heavy metal intoxication are discussed, synthetic and natural ones, the latest present in medicinal herbs and other edible plants.

Keywords:Essential metal ions; Toxic metal ions; Natural and synthetic chelating agents; Synthetic pesticides; Metalloenzymes; Radioactive elements; HSAB theory; Periodic Table; Medicinal herbs

Abbreviations:GSH: Reduced Glutathione; MTs: Metallothionein’s; PhyTs: Phytochelatins; HSAB: Hard and Soft Acids and Bases Theory; DMPS: Dimercaptopropane Sulfonate; DTPA: Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetic Acid; Metal ions: Po: polonium; Pu: plutonium; U: uranium; Cr: chromium; Tl: Thallium; Na: Sodium; K: Potassium; Mg: Magnesium; Ca: Calcium; Cr: Chromium; Mn: Manganese; Fe: Iron; Co: Cobalt; Cu: Copper; Zn: Zinc; Mo: Molybdenum; C: Carbon; H: Hydrogen; N: Nitrogen; O: Oxygen; P: Phosphorus; S: Sulfur; Cl: Chloride; Mn-SOD: Manganese Superoxide Dismutase; GPx: Glutathione Peroxidase; ThxRed: Thioredoxin Reductase; RDI: Recommended Daily Intake; ROS: Reactive Oxygen Systems; POEA: Polyoxymethylene Amines or Polyethoxylated Tallowamine; DDT: Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane; GABA: γ-Aminobutyric Acid; Ca-ATPase: Calcium -ATPase; Mg-ATPase: Magnesium-ATPase; DMPS: Dimercaptopropane sulfonate; DTPA: Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetic Acid; DFO: Deferoxamine; Deferasirox: (4-[3,5-Bis(2- Hydroxyphenyl)-1,2,4-Triazol-1-yl]-Benzoic acid); ppm: Parts Per Million, milligram/Liter (mg/L); ppb: Parts Per Billion, microgram/Liter (μg/L); POEA: polyoxyethylenamines (Polyethoxylated Tallowamine); ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species; OS: Oxidative Stress; DDT: Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane; POPs: Persistent Organic Pollutants; miR-155: Micro RNA 155 ; cyt b561: Cytochrome b561.