A review: Analytical methods for heavy metals determination in environment and human samples

Heavy metals are vital and necessary in our daily lives. Moreover, if the amounts of heavy metals are more than the acceptable amounts (mentioned by WHO) in soil, water, and air, indeed, they cause a lot of diseases in human bodies. Therefore, monitoring and measuring the amounts of heavy metals which are arduous and difficult are so important. In this review paper, a lot of studies which have been carried out on the determination and quantification of heavy metals in human bodies, soil, and water are considered. Moreover, the effect of toxicity of each heavy metal on human health is assessed. According to WHO, EPA, NIOSH, ACGIH, and clinical chemistry, determination of heavy metals such as Cd, Pb, Zn, Hg, Cu, Mn is very important in human body and Environmental matrixes. For example, the range concentration of heavy metals in human body such as, cadmium is about 0.3 to 0.98, and for cooper, it is about 0.01 – 1.107 ppm. In addition, most obtained results demonstrate that the lowest and highest range concentration of heavy metals in blood of human body has been equal to 0.56–8.78 ppm and 0.08 – 4.67 ppm respectively. Finally, in this review paper, the approaches of quantification of heavy metals using atomic absorption spectrometry, gas chromatography, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry etc. in human bodies, water, and soil are assessed.