Discussing the characteristics of heavy metal pollutants in the environment
After entering the environment, heavy metal pollutants are diluted and diffused with the flow of water and air, which may cause pollution from point sources to surface sources on a larger scale. Moreover, the concentration and intensity distribution of pollutants vary over time at different spatial locations.
Some pollutants can be absorbed, utilized, and decomposed by organisms, and then generate harmless stable substances. Most organic matter has the possibility of being biodegraded, while most heavy metals are not easily biodegraded. Therefore, once this pollution occurs, it is more difficult to control and the harm is greater.
Bioaccumulation includes two aspects: one is the accumulation of pollutants in the environment through the food chain and chemical physical interactions. The second is the accumulation of pollutants in certain organs and tissues of the human body due to long-term ingestion.
Multiple heavy metal pollutants coexist and interact with organisms. There are two types of additive effects of pollutants on organisms: one is synergistic effect, where mixed pollutants cause more serious harm to the environment than the simple addition of pollutants; Another type is antagonistic effect, where the coexistence of pollutants weakens the harm to each other.