Industrial effluents can be classified into waste rich in organic matter and waste rich in inorganic matter. Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that have a high atomic weight and a density at least 5 times greater than that of water. The use of heavy metal in multiple industries likedomestic, agricultural, medical and technological applications have led to their wide circulation in the Environment and this leads to various harmful effects on human health and ecosystem. The toxicity of heavy metals dependson numerous factors including the dose, route of exposure, and chemical species, as well as the age, gender, genetics, and nutritional status of exposed individuals. Because of the high degree of toxicity of heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury rank among the different metals that areof public health significance. These metallic elements are considered to be universal toxicants that are known to induce multiple organ damage, even at lower levels of exposure and also classified as human carcinogens (known or probable).

Keywords: Heavy metals, Industrial waste, pollution, Environment, Exposure.