and health risks in Africa. The prevalence of geophagy and high dietary intake of iron coupled with genetic disposition increases iron overload and the associated human health risks among native Africans. The human health risks of chrysotile include asbestosis, cancers, and mesothelioma, while toxic metal and rare earth elements induce oxidative stress which damages biomolecules such as deoxyribonucleic acid. Human health risks may also occur via synergistic interactions among toxic geogenic contaminants (e.g., chrysotile and toxic metals), and even between toxic geogenic contaminants and other health stressors such as the prevalence of infectious diseases. Mitigation measures to safeguard human health, and future research directions were highlighted.
Acknowledgements
This chapter is based on research project entitled, “The Potential of Native Plants of the Ultramafic Great Dyke of Zimbabwe for the Phytoremediation and Restoration of Metalliferrous Mine Wastes”, which was funded by the British Ecological Society (BES) Ecologists in Africa Grant No. 5774-6818. I am very grateful for the financial support provided by the British Ecological Society (BES) Ecologists in Africa. However, I am solely responsible for the views expressed in this chapter, and the decision to publish the research, BES, and its affiliates played no role whatsoever in the research and decision to publish the chapter.
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