definition
Metals and metalloids, often referred to as heavy metals or trace metals, are compounds found in the environment (e.g., air, water and soil), both through natural occurrence and from industrial and agricultural sources. They include substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and tin.
Metals can unintentionally occur as residues in food from the environment at production, processing, packaging, transport, storage, and consumption stages. People can be exposed to these metals from the environment or by ingesting contaminated food or water. Metals may occur as both organic (bonded to carbon atoms as a result of biological activity) and inorganic forms. Chemical form (e.g., inorganic vs. organometallic arsenic, methylmercury vs. inorganic mercury) significantly influences toxicity and uptake pathways
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