As outlined in part one of this article heavy metals are natural components of the Earth's crust. However to the body, they are poisonous substances even in very small quantities, which enter our food and water supply by industrial and consumer waste, or even from acidic rain breaking down soils and releasing heavy metals into streams, lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Heavy meals are also added (yes, unfortunately you read correctly - they are added!) to medicines as well as thousands of different food products, household products, personal products and untold numbers of industrial products and chemicals.

Toxic heavy metals cannot be degraded or destroyed and are dangerous because they tend to bioaccumulate. Bioaccumulation means an increase in the concentration of a chemical in the body over time, compared to the chemical's concentration in the environment. Heavy metals accumulate in living organisms whenever they enter the body (of humans and/or animals). They are immediately absorbed and due to their high toxic potential are quickly and deeply stored away in tissues such as the brain, liver, kidneys and bones to prevent immediate harm as they are not easily broken down, metabolized or excreted by the body.

The problem being that due to their inability to be easily metabolized and excreted they tend to accumulate further and further causing metabolic disruptions which can lead to infertility, poor sperm parameters and miscarriages, but they have also been linked to malformation and abnormalities in the foetus as well as developmental concerns including autism in children whose parents (particularly the mother had high heavy metal loads during pregnancy). Researchers believe a lot of the damage caused to developing babies and children due to heavy metals exposure begins and happens whilst in utero, in addition to some links to certain vaccines which are preserved with mercury and may contain other heavy metals as well as polluted fish, water and other environmental exposure.

Arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, aluminum, and uranium are highly toxic and every care should be taken to avoid them. Barium, lithium, nickel (one of the alloys in stainless steel) and strontium are also toxic and are certainly best avoided.

So where are these toxic metals found?

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HEAVY METAL
Aluminium

GENERAL SOURCES
Alum, aluminium foil, animal feed, antacids, aspirin, auto exhaust, cans, ceramics, cigarette filters, construction materials, cookware, cosmetics, dental amalgams, deodorants, drying agents, dust, insulated wiring, medicinal compounds, nasal spray, pesticides, pollution, sutures with wound-healing coatings, tobacco smoke, toothpaste.

FOOD SOURCES
Baking powder, beer, bleached flour, colour additives, drinking water, hard cheese, milk products, salt, seasonings, tap water, treated water, vanilla powder
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HEAVY METAL
Arsenic

GENERAL SOURCES
Automobile exhausts, burning of arsenate treated building materials, coal combustion, coloured chalk, household detergents, insect sprays, pesticides, rat poisons, sewage disposal, soils (arsenic rich) wallpaper dye and plaster wood preservatives.

FOOD SOURCES
Chicken, seafood from coastal waters (especially mussels, oysters and shrimp), water (drinking, seawater and well), wine (if arsenic in pesticides used).
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HEAVY METAL
Beryllium

GENERAL SOURCES
Coal burning, manufacturing, household products, industrial dust.

FOOD SOURCES
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HEAVY METAL
Cadmium

GENERAL SOURCES
Airborne industrial contaminants, batteries, ceramics, cigarette smoke, congenital intoxication, copper refineries, copper alloys, dental alloys, electroplating, fertilisers, fungicides, galvanised pipes, incineration of tires/rubber/plastic, marijuana, motor oil, nickel-cadmium plated batteries, paint, pesticides, polyvinyl plastics, rubber, rubber carpet backing, rust-proofing materials, sewage, silver polish, smelters, solders (including in food cans), tobacco, tools, vapour lamps, welding material.

FOOD SOURCES
Candy, colas, drinking water, food from contaminated soil, evaporated milk, instant coffee, kidney, liver, oysters, processed foods, processed meat, refined grains/flours/cereals, seafood (cod, haddock, tuna), vending machine soft drinks, water (city, softened, well).
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HEAVY METAL
Copper

GENERAL SOURCES
Birth control pills, congenital intoxication, copper cookware, copper IUDs, copper pipes dental alloys, fungicides, ice makers, industrial emissions, insecticides, swimming pools, welding.

FOOD SOURCES
Avocado, beer, bluefish, bone meal, chocolate, corn oil, crabs, gelatine, grains, lamb, liver, lobster, margarine, milk, nuts, mushrooms, organ meats, oysters, perch, seeds, shellfish, soybeans, tofu, wheat germ, yeast, water (city/well).
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HEAVY METAL
Iron

GENERAL SOURCES
Iron cookware, iron pipes, welding.

FOOD SOURCES
Blackstrap molasses, bone meal, bran, chives, clams, drinking water, heart, kidney, leafy vegetables, legumes, liver, meat, molasses, nuts, organ meats, oysters, parsley, red wine, refined foods, shellfish, soybeans, wheat germ, whole grains.
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HEAVY METAL
Lead

GENERAL SOURCES
Ash, auto exhaust, battery manufacturing, car batteries, cigarette smoke, coal combustion, coloured inks, congenital intoxication, cosmetics, eating utensils, electroplating, household dust, glass production, hair dyes, industrial emissions, lead pipes, lead-glazed earthenware pottery, mascara, metal polish, newsprint, paint, pencils, pesticides, putty, rain water, PVC containers, produce near roads, refineries, smelters, sow, tin cans with lead solder sealing, tobacco, toothpaste, toys.

FOOD SOURCES
Bone meal, canned fruit and juice, liver, milk, organ meats, water (city, well), wine.
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HEAVY METAL
Mercury

GENERAL SOURCES
Adhesives, air conditioner filters, algaecides, antiseptics, barometers and thermometers, battery manufacturing, body powders, broken thermometers, burning newspapers and building materials, calamine lotions, congenital intoxication, cosmetics, dental amalgams, diuretics, fabric softeners, felt, floor waxes, fungicides, germicides, industrial waste, insecticides, laxatives, lumber, manufacture of paper and chlorine, mascara, medications, mercurochrome, paints, paper products, pesticides, photoengraving, polluted water, Preparation H, psoriasis ointment, sewage disposal, skin lightening creams, soft contact lens solution, suppositories, tanning leather, tattooing, wood preservatives.

FOOD SOURCES
Cereals, grains, seafood (especially tuna and swordfish), water (contaminated).
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HEAVY METAL
Nickel

GENERAL SOURCES
Fertilisers, food processing, fuel oil combustion, industrial waste, kelp, nuclear device testing, stainless steel cookware, tobacco smoke.

FOOD SOURCES
Butter, cereals, hydrogenated fats and oils, imitation whipped cream, margarine, oysters, tea, unrefined grains, vegetable shortening.
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The best way to protect your health and fertility as well as for the safety of your family avoid products you suspect heavy metals are present in. And be sure to do your research!