Heavy Metal Pollution in Water, Detection and Remediations Strategies

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution poses a significant threat to both human health and the environment, stemming from industrial processes, agricultural methods and urbanization. This study examined the presence of heavy metals such as lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and cobalt (Co) in water bodies. It investigated bioaccumulation processes and contamination pathways, highlighting the toxicological impacts these metal contaminants have on human populations and ecosystems, including acute and chronic health effects. The study further assesses various remediation techniques, emphasizing environmentally friendly and sustainable strategies. Techniques such as electrokinetic remediation, phytoremediation, adsorption remediation and chemical precipitation are evaluated for their effectiveness in mitigating heavy metal contamination. Advantages and limitations of analytical methods such as Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and MP-AES were also examined.