2 ENVIRONMENTAL LEVELS AND HUMAN EXPOSURE Air In remote areas, iron levels in air are about 50–90 ng/m3; at urban sites, levels are about 1.3 µg/m3. If an individual is homozygous for a mutated gene, that is, mutated genes are found on both chromosomes that contain the gene, iron absorption from the intestine is abnormally increased. It may be accompanied by excessive sweating, anxiety or restlessness, wheezing sounds with breathing, the feeling of drowning, leg swelling, pale skin, coughing or spitting up blood … Iron overload usually is caused by the disease, hemochromatosis.It is a genetic disease caused by a change (mutation) in a gene that is important in limiting the absorption of iron from the intestine. Some of the common side effects associated with the excessive intake of iron include the following. Side Effects of Too Much Iron. Effects on Beverages and Food. It can also damage the liver, pancreas, and heart. People who take iron pills on an empty stomach are more likely to suffer from constipation. Pulmonary edema refers to an abnormal accumulation of fluid in your lungs' air sacs, which causes breathing difficulty. What does the Department of Health and Social Care advise? 3. Hair Loss With too much iron in the diet, thick mop of hair may soon become thin. Iron is an essential mineral, but ingesting too much can cause severe harm. A mere intake of over 200 mg of iron per day can result in iron poisoning in children. Side effects of taking high doses (over 20mg) of iron include: constipation; feeling sick; being sick ; stomach pain; Very high doses of iron can be fatal, particularly if taken by children, so always keep iron supplements out of the reach of children. Excessive use of iron supplements is considered to be the primary factor responsible for poisoning in children. Although a low level of iron cannot do much harm, iron in water is considered as a contaminant because it also contains bacteria that feed off it. Iron in water can be determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (detection limit 1 µg/litre) or by colorimetric methods (detection limit 5 µg/litre) (5). This is a detailed review of the harmful effects of too much iron. In addition to this, high iron content leads to an overload which can cause diabetes, hemochromatosis, stomach problems, nausea, and vomiting. Too much iron in your body may give rise to a condition called pulmonary edema. What happens if I take too much iron? Too much iron, especially when taken in the form of supplements can slow down the bowel movement, which may lead to constipation. The researchers tested water samples from the farms, all of which had high iron levels ranging from 0.74 to 72.5 mg Fe/L—above the maximum … Learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatments here. Iron overload disorders, including hemochromatosis, cause the body to absorb too much iron.