Background: Human exposure to xenobiotics, especially priority heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and chromium), is unavoidable because of their involvement in industrial applications, accumulation in the environment over time and non-biodegradability. Unfortunately, they induce unprecedented biochemical and pathological changes on those exposed to them, causing oxidative damages and organ toxicities. Aim: This study investigated the frequencies of priority heavy metals and their impact on some micronutrient elements (copper, iron, zinc) in the blood of inhabitants of a lead-zinc mining community in southeastern Nigeria.

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