Metals in Medicine and the Environment

In many crucial biological processes, such as oxygen transport, electron transport, intermediary metabolism, metals play an important part. Therefore, disorders of metal homeostasis, metal bioavailability or toxicity caused by metal excess, are responsible for a large number of human diseases. We have already mentioned disorders of iron metabolism (see Chapter 7) and of copper metabolism (see Chapter 14). The important role, particularly of redox metals such as copper and iron, and also of zinc, in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson s disease, Alzheimer s disease, etc. has also been discussed (see Chapter 18). We will not further discuss them here. 

Finally, the introduction of metal ions into the environment, often through the activities of man himself, can constitute a further health hazard. The example of the toxic effects of 

1 Chinese proverb poor doctor heals, good doctor prevents. 

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Last but not least, we should mention that the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry (SBIC) was erected in 1995, and is strongly developing, not only giving attention to bioinorganic catalysis, but also to biomimetics, electron transfer, and the role of metal ions in medicine and the environment, including metal-nucleic acid interactions for details, see the website http //www.sbic-home.org/. 

However, I remain responsible for errors or mistakes which have been perpetrated in what I hope will be the first of many editions of a book which is written with the clear and unequivocal objective to incite students coming from either a biology or chemistry background, not to forget those coming from medical or environmental formations, to develop their interest in the extremely important role that metals play in biology, in medicine, and in the environment. 

Ion recognition is a subject of considerable interest because of its implications in many fields chemistry, biology, medicine (clinical biochemistry), environment, etc. In particular, selective detection of metal cations involved in biological processes (e.g., sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium), in clinical diagnosis (e.g., lithium, potassium, aluminum) or in pollution (e.g., lead, mercury, cadmium) has received much attention. Among the various methods available for detection of ions, and more... 

Transition-metal based compounds constitute a discrete class of chemotherapeutics, widely used in medicine as antitumor agents.56 Several ruthenium complexes enable the body to catalyze oxidation and reduction reactions, depending on the physiological environment, and have attracted much interest as alternative antitumor drugs in the treatment of cancer cells resistant to cisplatin in cancer... 

Trichloroethane is likely to enter the environment from air emissions or in wastewater from its production and use in vapour degreasing, metal cleaning and other applications. It can also enter the environment in leachates and volatile emissions from landfills. It has been detected at low levels in wastewater, groundwater, drinking-water, ambient water, ambient air, and urban air samples (United States National Library of Medicine, 1997). 

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