A human health concern is usually associated with excessive exposures to metals that cause toxic effects. These metals may include those non-essential to human body, such as As, Cd, Hg and Pb that can be toxic even at trace levels, and biologically essential elements, such as Mn and Fe, which might cause toxic effects at elevated concentrations. Urban soils often contain concentrations of trace metals that exceed regulatory levels.

The prolonged presence of trace metal contaminants in the urban environment, particularly in urban soils, and their close proximity to the human population can significantly amplify the exposure of the urban population to metals via inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact. We are developing synthetic chelating drugs as antidotes to metal toxicity.