Question by Chryszolite: Why is milk or raw egg used as antidote in cases of heavy metal ion poisoning?
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Best answer:
Answer by Dr.Shashikant
Heavy metal salts act to denature proteins in much the same manner as acids and bases. Heavy metal salts usually contain Hg+2, Pb+2, Ag+1 Tl+1, Cd+2 and other metals with high atomic weights. Since salts are ionic they disrupt salt bridges in proteins. The reaction of a heavy metal salt with a protein usually leads to an insoluble metal protein salt.
As an antidote, a protein such as milk or egg whites may be administered to precipitate the poisonous salt.
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/568denaturation.html
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