Table 4 Adverse health effects associated with toxic levels of selected heavy metals
From: A review of the health implications of heavy metals and pesticide residues on khat users
Health effects | Physiological symptoms associated with the heavy metal | Heavy metals determined in khat | References |
|---|---|---|---|
Cardiovascular diseases | Heart rate increase, Dry mouth, Blurred vision | Pb, Cd, Cu | Chowdhury et al. (2018) |
Gastrointestinal disorders | Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting, Abdominal pain | Cu, Mn, Fe, Co, Cd | Pizzaro et. al. (1999), Sane et al. (2018), Leyssens et. al. (2017), Lia et al. (2019), Tinkov et al. (2018) |
Reproductive disorders | Hampered fetal growth, Fertility disorders | Pb | Kumar et al. (2020) |
Carcinogenic effects | Tumor growth | Cd | Genchi et al. (2020) |
Neurological disorders | Reduced intelligence quotient (IQ) in children, Mental retardation, Behavioral disorders, Suicide attempts | Pb, Cu, Mn, Fe | WHO (2019), Santos et. al. (2019), Dobson et al. (2004), Sane et al. (2018) |