Question

The elements arsenic, copper and mercury have the following effect?
A. Catalytic effect
B. pH effect
C. Toxic effect
D. Antagonistic action

Answer 1

Hint: Some metals like arsenic, copper, mercury, etc. have toxic effects in the human body as well as in the environment. These metals cause severe diseases that can lead to the death of an individual.

Complete answer:
Metals show toxic effects in the human body.
1. Mercury (symbol Hg) causes mercury poisoning. Minamata is a very common neurological disease that occurs due to high exposure to mercury.
This disease is also referred to as Chisso-Minamata disease.
2. Symptoms of this disease include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general weakness in muscles, narrowing of the field of vision, and impairment of hearing and speech.
3. Arsenic causes black foot disease. It's mainly seen in the areas of Taiwan with long-term exposure to high arsenic in drinking water.
4. The patients suffer from black, mummified dry foot-gangrene. Water that is rich in arsenic results in thickened and darker skin, foot, and palm of the hand, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and even leads to cancer.
5. Intake of high doses of Zn for a long period of time also leads to toxicity in the human body. Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, cramps, etc.

Additional information: 1. The catalytic effect refers to the effect of a catalytic substance having some catalytic properties, which increases the speed of a chemical or biological reaction.
2. The antagonistic effect can be defined as the opposing effect between two substances that can be chemical or biological. An example includes opposing effects of insulin and glucagon in the maintenance of blood sugar level – insulin lowers the blood sugar level; glucagon increases the same.
3. pH effects can be seen in enzymes. In a certain pH, range enzymes act proficiently. Below or above that range enzymes cannot act properly.

So, the correct answer is option C. Toxic effect.

Note: Itai-Itai disease is also a toxic disease that is caused by long term cadmium (symbol Cd) exposure. This condition was first recognized in Japan in the 1960s.
This disease is characterized by severe bone pain and renal tubular dysfunction.