Environmental pollution is one of the main problems to confront
humanity, with the heavy metals occupying a leading role among the most
pernicious pollutants. The metals cause cancer and other sicknesses.
Their cytotoxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic potentials are not fully
understood, and any thorough investigation demands the combined efforts
of scientists drawn from many different disciplines. But the effects of
heavy metals are not all negative: some, like cis-DDP, and some
ruthenium and tin complexes, have antitumour activity.
The idea underlying the present work is therefore to present a
multidisciplinary perspective on heavy metals in the environment,
affording a better understanding of their action on human organisms and
health, aiming to make them less polluting and more environmentally
friendly.