ABSTRACT
There are numerous metals that can exert nephrotoxic effects in humans and other mammals, so it would be an insurmountable task to provide useful information pertaining to the nephrotoxicology of all of them within the confines of a single chapter of a text dealing with the general subject of renal toxicology. This chapter, therefore, focuses on four of the more environmentally and occupationally relevant heavy metals that are nephrotoxic: cadmium, mercury, lead, and uranium. It is hoped that the discussions of these four metals will make it clear to the reader how complex and varied the mechanisms are that induce injurious effects in the kidneys.
