ELi5: why are almost all heavy metals toxic? What do they do in the body?
In: Chemistry
Here is a good review of [Mechanism and Health Effects of Heavy Metal Toxicity in Humans](https://www.intechopen.com/books/poisoning-in-the-modern-world-new-tricks-for-an-old-dog-/mechanism-and-health-effects-of-heavy-metal-toxicity-in-humans)
First, **Many metals are necessary** and do not cause health problems.
>copper, cobalt, iron, nickel, magnesium, molybdenum, chromium, selenium, manganese and zinc have functional roles which are essential for various diverse physiological and biochemical activities in the body.
Second, “**the dose makes the poison**”, so when you get too high a dosage of one of the toxic forms of a toxic product you start to have problems. Some are toxic in smaller doses than others.
>cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, silver, and arsenic in minute quantities have delirious effects in the body causing acute and chronic toxicities in humans.
The specific mechanism of toxicity is different for these different metals. These are common pathways
1. oxidative stress and oxidation of biological molecules
2. Heavy metal-induced carcinogenesis
3. Heavy metal-induced neurotoxicity
This tends to happen after they are acidified in the stomach, to a 2+ metal ion, which then bonds permanently to places where it causes trouble.
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