Abstract:
Heavy metals are stable in the environment and cannot be degraded or destroyed.
Therefore, they tend to build up in the atmosphere, soils, sediments and water. Human
activities have altered the natural (biochemical and geochemical) cycles and levels of
some heavy metals. Excessive levels of metals in air, aquatic and terrestrial contributed
pollution and pose risk to human and other living things including Acanthamoeba.
Acanthamoeba is a free living amoeba that potentially becomes pathogenic. They are
widely distributed in the environment and not dependent upon a host for transmission
and spread. The previous study showed that heavy metals like cadmium, lead, mercury
and zinc inhibit the growth of Acanthamoeba spp.
