| Behavioral & Functional Abnormalities Associated with Heavy Metal Toxicity |
| Brain and Central Nervous System |
|
| Neuro-fibrillary tangles |
Aluminum |
| Neuritis, retro-bulbar neuritis; neuropathy |
Aluminum, Arsenic, Thallium |
| Encephalopathy |
Aluminum, Arsenic, Lead, Thallium |
| Cerebro vascular disease |
X metals |
| Alterations in nerve conduction velocity |
Lead |
| Alterations in the spinal cord |
Thallium |
| Assumulates in CNS structures |
Aluminum, Mercury |
| Abnormal EEGs |
Arsenic, Lead |
| Autonomic disturbances |
Copper, Lead, Mercury, Thallium |
|
| Gastrointestinal Tract |
|
| Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; loss of appetite |
Arsenic, Copper, Mercury, Thallium |
| Abdominal pain, stomach cramps; burning of the throat and mouth |
Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Thallium |
| Esophagitis; gastroenteritis; colitis |
Arsenic, Mercury, Thallium |
| Cancers (colon, pancreatic, stomach, or rectal) |
Arsenic |
|
| Peripheral Nervous System |
|
| Peripheral neuropathy |
Arsenic, Mercury |
| Alterations in peripheral nerves |
Arsenic |
| Loss of feeling/numbness in the extremities; paresthesia |
Arsenic, Mercury, Thallium |
|
| Renal and Hepatic Impairment |
|
| Hepato-toxicity; liver dysfunction, damage |
Arsenic, Copper, Thallium |
| Cirrhosis of the liver; hepatitis |
Copper |
| Kidney disease; kidney failure |
Arsenic, Lead, Mercury |
| Renal toxicity; tubular proteinosis |
Arsenic, Copper, Lead |
| Kidney damage, histological alterations |
Arsenic, Lead |
|
| Cardiovascular System |
|
| Blood vessel damage |
Arsenic |
| Anemia; decreased red blood cell count |
Arsenic, Copper |
| Lead Hypertension; increased heart rate (tachycardia) |
Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Thallium |
| Peripheral vascular disease; cardiovascular disease, vascular collapse |
Arsenic, Lead |
|
| Respiratory System |
|
| Pulmonary fibrosis |
Aluminum, Arsenic |
| Pulmonary endema |
X metals |
| Pneumonia, laryngitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis |
Aluminum, Arsenic, Mercury |
| Restrictive airway disorders, asthmatic conditions, pneumoconisis |
Arsenic, Aluminum |
| Respiratory tract disorders |
Arsenic |
| Nasal ulcers, perofraction of the nasal septum |
X metals |
|
| Immune System |
|
| Increased incidences of asthma, autoimmune-like symptoms, & allergies |
X metals |
| Inhibition of lymphocytes, T-cells, monocytes |
X metals |
| Immuno-suppression |
Lead |
| Decreased white blood cell count |
Arsenic, Thallium |
|
| Reproductive System |
|
| Genital abnormalities |
Aluminum, Thallium |
| Disturbances in menstrual cycle; menstrual pains |
Copper, Mercury |
| Birth defects; premature births; spontaneous abortion |
Arsenic, Lead, Mercury |
| Reproductive dysfunction |
Arsenic, Aluminum, Cadmium, Lead |
|
| Psychiatric Disturbances |
|
| Social Deficits, Social Withdrawal |
Mercury |
| Repetitive, perseverative, stereotyped behaviors, OCD-typical behaviors |
Mercury |
| Depression, mood swings, flat affect; impaired facial recognition |
Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Mercury |
| Scizoid tendencies; hallucinations; delirium |
Mercury |
| Irritability, aggressive behaviors, temper tantrums |
Lead, Mercury |
| Suicidal behavior |
Copper, Mercury |
| Sleep difficulties/disturbances |
Lead, Mercury, Thallium |
| Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS); weakness, malaise |
Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Thallium |
| Anorexia; symptoms reflecting eating disorders, loss of appetite/weight |
Arsenic, Lead, Mercury |
| Anxiety; nervous tendencies |
Thallium |
| Attention problems (ADHD), lacks eye contact, impaired visual fixation |
Lead, Mercury |
|
| Speech and Language Deficits |
|
| Speech Disorders |
Aluminum, Mercury |
| Loss of Speech, developmental problems with language |
Mercury |
| Speech comprehension deficits |
Mercury |
| Dysarthria; articulation problems; slurred speech, unintelligible speech |
Mercury |
|
| Cognitive Impairments |
|
| Mental retardation, borderline intelligence |
Arsenic, Lead, Mercury |
| Uneven performance on IQ scores, low IQ scores |
Copper, Lead |
| Poor concentration, attention deficits (ADHD), response inhibition |
Aluminum, Lead |
| Poor memory (short term, verbal and auditory) |
Aluminum, Lead |
| Difficulties understanding abstract ideas; difficulty carrying out complex commands |
X metals |
| Dementia; pre-senile and senile dementia |
Aluminum |
| Stupor |
Aluminum |
| Impaired reaction time; lower performance on timed tests |
Lead |
|
| Sensory Abnormalities |
|
| Abnormal sensations in the mouth and extremities |
Arsenic |
| Hearing loss, difficulty hearing |
Arsenic, Lead, Mercury |
| Abnormal touch sensations; diminished touch sensations, aversion to touch |
Arsenic |
| Blurred vision, sensitivity to light |
Arsenic, Mercury |
|
| Motor Disorders |
|
| Choreiform movements, myoclonal jerks, unusual postures |
Copper, Mercury |
| Difficulty walking, swallowing, talking, flapping, circuling, rocking, toe walking |
Copper, Mercury |
| Problems with intentional movements or imitation |
Mercury |
| Abnormal gait/posture; in co-ordination, loss of balance; problems sitting, lying, crawling, and walking |
Mercury |
| Decreased loco-motor activity |
Aluminum, Arsenic |
| Convulsions; seizure |
Aluminum, Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Thallium |
|
| Other Physical Disturbances |
|
| Hypotonia or hypertonia; decreased muscular strength |
X metals |
| Rashes, contact dermatitis, eczema, itchy/irritating skin |
Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Mercury |
| Muscle pain; headache; acrodynia; colic |
Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Thallium |
| Alopecia (hair loss) |
Thallium |
|
