Environmental Pollutants

Environmental pollutants include toxic metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel and iron, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, emerging contaminants such as flame retardants, micro- and nanoplastic and pharmaceutical residues, which are commonly found in the environment mostly in trace amounts as a result of reckless human industrial, military, and other activities. This chapter mainly deals with the toxic effects of these substances in humans through foods or drinks, which contain anthropogenic pollutants as a result of careless attitude to the environment. These pollutants can reach our dining table either directly with food of plant origin or of animal origin where the pollutants are transferred from animal feed.