Therefore it aims to highlight on biochemical mechanisms of heavy metal intoxication which involves binding to proteins and enzymes, altering their activity and causing damage. The focus of this chapter is to describe the various mechanism of intoxication of some selected heavy metals in humans along with their health effects. However, some of these heavy metals in high doses can be harmful to the body while others such as cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, silver, and arsenic in minute quantities have delirious effects in the body causing acute and chronic toxicities in humans. Some of these heavy metals such as 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.
Among these heavy metals, a few have direct or indirect impact on the human body.
Several heavy metals are found naturally in the earth crust and are exploited for various industrial and economic purposes.
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