Toxic Metals

Metal toxicity refers to a condition where the body is slowly poisoned over a period of time by a group of elements that exhibit metallic properties. We are not talking so much about the beneficial metals such as iron, cobalt, zinc, and manganese that...

Dichlorophene, which is also commonly referred to simply as phenol, is a highly corrosive powder that is either light pink or slightly cream in color. Since it has a high melting point and is insoluble in water, its toxic properties make it a popular choice for use in bactericides,...

What is Chlordane? Chlordane is a manmade chemical that was manufactured as a pesticide in the U.S. Unlike other chemicals, chlordane does not occur in the environment naturally. It is a mixture of two isomers called "alpha-chlordane and gamma-chlordane" mixed with a variety of side products. Sold...

Uranium is probably best recognized for its use in nuclear plants and in the making of nuclear weapons. But, while most people may think it is highly radioactive, in truth, it only carries a mild radioactivity. It was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1789 and he named the...

Barium is a potentially harmful element that can cause a number of gastrointestinal problems if a person is exposed to enough of it. Unfortunately, it is difficult to detect how much exposure to barium one has on a daily basis because exposure can come from a number of different...

Nickel is a metal that is most commonly used in the manufacture of stainless steel and other alloys. It is a naturally occurring element that also happens to be one of the more abundant metals found on the planet. While minimal exposure to nickel is usually quite harmless, higher...

Bismuth is an abundant element that features the highest diamagnetic properties of any metal as well as one of the lowest thermal conductivity ratings. In fact, only mercury has a lower thermal conductivity. The physical aspects of bismuth include a hard, brittle and heavy metallic finish that is white...

Strontium is indicated by 'Sr' and has an atomic number of 38 on the periodic table. It occurs naturally, but only in compounds with other elements like the minerals, strontianite and celestite. Alone it's extremely reactive. In the air, strontium spontaneously combusts to strontium oxide and strontium nitride. In...

Copper is a vital elemental nutrient that is necessary for good health. In fact, it can be found naturally in all plants and animals. The metallic form of copper can also be found in our environment as it occurs naturally there as well. As vital as it is for...

Chromium hexavalent is a compound of the element chromium. It is found naturally in nature and it gained attention and infamous notoriety as being the substance found in the drinking water in the California town of Hinkley. It was Erin Brockovich who championed the cause to eradicate the substance...

Arsenic's symbol is 'As' and the atomic number is 33 on the periodic table. This metalloid is extremely poisonous, and it has many allotropic forms including several metalloid black and gray forms and a non metallic yellow form. It is converted to gas with no liquid transitional state, (it...

Many of the products we use have toxic metals in them. Toxic metals are in the foods we eat, water we drink, and the air we breathe. We need very little of only a few toxic metals including zinc, copper, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium and strontium. These good toxic metals become...