Heavy Metals and Sericulture: Implications for Industry Sustainability

Heavy metals have been a major environmental challenge and concern many researchers and environmental scientists. They are produced primarily through several anthropogenic activities and some natural processes. Since they are non-biodegradable and can withstand prolonged exposure to aquatic and terrestrial conditions, their highest toxicity can be sensed even at low concentrations (e.g., Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Chromium, and Thallium). Some trace elements such as Selenium, Copper, and Zinc can negatively impact the biota, oxidation-reduction reactions, and vital enzymes. A rise in reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of their harmful consequences. Sericulture, the synthesized science of silk production, provides financial security to millions of people in the country. The unit cost of raw silk is 20% greater than that of raw cotton, making it one of the costliest natural fibers. However, heavy metals have a detrimental effect on the silkworm life cycle, their survival, and their capacity to produce silk. The scientific community has been urged to investigate biotechnology, among other areas, to determine if heavy metal contamination of silkworms could be detected. This would assist in enhancing production and using the silkworm as a model organism for producing foreign protein. Hence, our key areas of interest are to review the contamination of silkworms with heavy metals, which will give an idea of how it would benefit poor countries economically and future sericulture research from this work.