ABSTRACT
The metals found in the environment are derived from a variety of sources. Such sources include: natural weathering of the earth’s crust, mining, soil erosion, industrial discharge, urban runoff, sewage effluents, pest or disease control agents applied to plants, air pollution fallout, and a number of others.1 Since the Industrial Revolution, the use of metals has been a mainstay of the economy in many developed countries, particularly the U.S. However, the increase of mining for metal ores, as well as the combustion of coal as an important energy source in many countries, has led to the health and exposure risks to workers and the public becoming of increasing concern.
