<p>Lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium are major toxic metals. All are environmental pollutants that can inflict harm on humans and other living creatures as well as adversely affect our air, water, soil, and food supply. Two of them-lead and mercury-are neurotoxins. They can poison not only us but also our progeny developing in the womb. The other two-arsenic and cadmium-have some carcinogenic forms. All four metals can break down the body's basic functions.</p> <p>Metal toxicity is more prevalent than commonly recognized. If we regularly eat certain fish or foods and beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, have amalgam dental fillings, drink contaminated tap water, take over-the-counter drugs, or use lipstick or hair dye, chances are that our bodies have already accumulated significant amounts of toxic metals. These poisonous substances are present in hundreds of other everyday consumer products. And if we work in certain industries or in agriculture, chronic exposure is inevitable.</p> <p>Our Toxic Legacy describes the unique characteristics of each of these four major toxic metals and identifies the likely sources of our exposures. It offers in-depth, evidence- based information on subtle as well as serious health problems each metal induces, methods to test for its presence, and therapies to rid it from our bodies. Equally important, the book demonstrates the failures of the federal government to enforce even weak safety standards-themselves formulated to accommodate economic interests rather than for protection of public health-and offers new and important information on what we can do to help limit these toxic metals in our environment. Our Toxic Legacy shows that, while much remains to be done, we can take measures now to protect.</p>