Heavy metal contamination

Heavy metals are those whose density is at least five times greater than water. They are toxic and cause damage to health when their concentration is excessive in the environment.

Sometimes they are detected in the dust of homes and offices. The following list details the most problematic heavy metals and where they can be found:

• Antimony (Sb): Flame retardants
• Arsenic (As): wood preservatives, rat poison
• Cadmium (Cd): tiles
• Cobalt (Co): old paints and varnishes
• Chrome (Cr): wood protectors, leather furniture
• Copper (Cu): wood protectors
• Tin (Sn): wood protectors, insecticides, PVC
• Mercury (Hg): Insecticides, leather furniture, fluorescents, batteries, old thermometers, energy-saving lamps, dental fillings
• Nickel (Ni): Coins, crystals
• Lead (Pb): mirrors, glass, glassware, old paints and varnishes, old fuels, old pipes
• Zinc (Zn): Flame retardants, insecticides

Their effects are often difficult to relate to the presence of heavy metals, since their polluting power is cumulative, not immediate and does not affect all people equally.

In general, they can cause the most diverse symptoms of disease: liver and kidney damage, nerve disorders, infections, allergies, anemia, bone deformities and cancer. They are not degraded in the body, but are deposited and accumulated in the kidneys, for example, bones or skin (especially in the subcutaneous fat skin layer).

Each metal also has its peculiarities, for example, lead impairs reproductive capacity: it decreases sperm and increases premature births and abortions. Fortunately, external levels have decreased with the advent of unleaded gasoline.

In the case of suspected environmental illness, such as multiple chemical sensitivity or fibromyalgia, or prior detection of heavy metals in blood tests, measurement in household and/or office dust is recommended.

The possible sources of the measured elements should then be investigated. If necessary, samples can be taken from the surface of the suspected material and analysed.

Once the sources are located, they should be removed. Every metal has its own procedure.

For example, mercury spilled from a broken thermometer should be immediately placed in a sealed plastic bag and taken to a special waste collection point. It should never be disposed of with a broom or vacuum cleaner, as it spreads more quickly through dust and even the air, and can aggravate the problem.