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The old adage, “The best thing that can happen,” is in line with the theme. Consider this, the love of chocolate is often seen all over the world. The news of how dark chocolate helps lower cholesterol levels and acts as a natural antidepressant, among others, sounds good. However, we have been told from an early age how an excessive chocolate diet can lead to many side effects, including high blood pressure and weight gain. In other words, it is highly toxic. So there is a soft balance to be maintained between more and less.
What is Mineral Toxicity?
Plants work the same way. In fact, the whole world works equally well, and everyone living in this world must obey the law of equality. The seven essential micronutrients should be stored in the right amount. From this, it can be concluded that too much leads to poisoning while too little causes poverty, which has been discussed earlier.
Mineral elements perform various functions in all plants, including electron carriers, enzyme activation, providing osmoticum for turgor and growth, maintaining charge balance, structural elements, and more.
Effects of Mineral Toxicity
The effects of mineral deficiency on plants cause roots and leaf fragmentation, reduced growth, severe disruption of cell and cell walls, thinning of branches, small changes in cytosol pH, enzyme incompatibility with reactant, stiffness, abnormal hardening, and darkening of roots: iron chlorosis, oxidative stress, chlorosis, chloroplast destruction, and cell and tissue death.
This raises the question, how is this fragile balance or direct measurement determined? There is a direct answer to this; the concentration of mineral ions in the muscle reduces the dry tissue weight by 10 percent and is said to be toxic. This concentration varies between different plants as each plant has different nutritional needs, different weights, energy needs, and more.
Also, another problem to consider is that overeating of one substance prevents the acquisition of another. For example, manganese toxins are characterized by the appearance of brown spots associated with chlorotic arteries. Here manganese competes with magnesium and iron for absorption and prevents the transfer of calcium to the plant’s surface. As a result, the overgrowth of manganese in plants results in a deficiency of iron, copper, and calcium. It is therefore clear that toxicity and deficiency are closely related.
Causes and Symptoms
The causes and symptoms of mineral poisoning depend directly on the minerals mentioned:
Sodium
Increased sodium concentration in the blood is usually toxic. The normal concentration of sodium in human plasma is 136–145 mM, and levels above 152 mM may cause fainting and death. Increased plasma sodium, called hypernatremia, causes cells of various tissues, including those in the brain, to shrink. Cerebral palsy leads to confusion, unconsciousness, paralysis of the lungs, and death. Deaths occur when salt (sodium chloride) accidentally seeks to feed infants rather than sugar. Death by sodium poisoning also resulted in bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate) being used to treat diarrhoea or vomiting. Although the spread of processed foods contains high levels of common salt, the amount of these substances is not enough to eliminate sodium toxicity.
Potassium
The normal level of potassium in the blood is within the range of .5–5.0 mM, while levels of 6.3–8.0 mM (severe hyperkalemia) result in cardiac arrhythmias or possibly death due to cardiac arrest. Potassium is very dangerous; However, potassium toxicity is usually prevented due to the cleansing reflex. Consumption of food leads to a slight increase in potassium levels in the blood, but these potassium levels are less harmful due to the absorption of potassium by various body cells and the action of the kidneys that carry blood. potassium ions from the blood to urine.
Iodine
Iodine poisoning can be the result of drinking 2.0 mg of iodide per day. Toxic levels of iodine inhibit hormone production, leading to lower levels of the hormone within the bloodstream. As a result, the thyroid gland grows. This condition is known as goitre or hyperthyroidism. Goiter is usually caused by iodine deficiency. In addition to goitre, iodine toxins produce a taste of copper in the mouth, excessive saliva production, and sores on the skin. This skin condition is called kelp acne because of its association with eating kelp, a seaweed that contains high levels of iodine. Iodine poisoning is frequently present in Japan, where people eat a lot of seaweed.
Nitrite
Nitrite toxin should be considered a toxin because nitrite produces its toxic effect by reacting with the iron atom to haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is an iron-containing protein that resides inside red blood cells. This protein is responsible for transporting almost all the oxygen found in the lungs to various tissues and organs. Haemoglobin produces a reddish-brown colour of red blood cells. In a day, haemoglobin is automatically released in a very small fraction, producing a protein of a very different structure called methemoglobin. Generally, methemoglobin levels make up about 1 percent of total haemoglobin. Methemoglobin can accumulate in the bloodstream due to nitrate toxicity. Infants are at risk of exposure to nitrite.
Also read: Important Topic Of Biology: Parthenocarpy
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Mineral Toxicity
What is Mineral Toxicity?
Mineral toxicity occurs when an excessive amount of minerals is absorbed in the body, which can be harmful.
What are the effects of mineral poisoning?
Effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even severe conditions like organ damage or failure.
How Is Mineral Toxicity Prevented?
t's prevented by maintaining a balanced diet, avoiding excessive supplement intake, and drinking plenty of water to help flush out excess minerals.
What is an example of mineral toxicity?
An example is Iron toxicity, which can occur from consuming too much iron, leading to liver failure.
Which mineral causes toxicity?
Many minerals like Iron, Zinc, Copper, and Lead can cause toxicity if taken in excessive amounts.
What causes mineral toxicity in plants?
It’s caused by excessive fertilization or pollution, which leads to high mineral concentrations in the soil harming the plants.
What Should Parents Be Concerned About Mineral Toxicity?
Parents should ensure a balanced diet for their children and be cautious with mineral supplements to avoid any risk of mineral toxicity.
