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Aluminum (Al): No proven issues;
ingestion may cause Alzheimer’s disease. Of all metals, only
iron is more widely used than aluminum.
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Arsenic (As): Arsenic is immediately
dangerous to life and health at very low levels. It is
easily absorbed and carcinogenic (cancer causing) with high
toxicity. As a result of its toxicity, arsenic compounds are
used in wood preservation (sprayed on trees to detour
animals, rodents, or insects from eating) and insecticides.
Less than 2% is used in lead alloys for ammunition.
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Antimony (Sb): Stibnite could be
used as a medicine but heating its ore actually produces the
element antimony. Similar to lead; toxicity of antimony and
its compounds varies according to the chemical state of the
element. Many of the salts are carcinogenic; exposure to 9
milligrams per cubic meter of air (mg/m³) of antimony as
stibnite for a long time can irritate your eyes, skin and
lungs; breathing 2mg/m³ of antimony for a long time can
cause problems w/ lungs, heart, stomach pain, diarrhea,
vomiting and stomach ulcers. People who drank over 19ppm of
antimony in one sitting vomited. Its common uses are in
bullets, paint, batteries, pottery, glass and cable
sheathing.
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Bismuth (Bi): Bismuth is non-toxic.
It’s used as a replacement for lead in shot and bullets.
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Boron (B): Boron is non-toxic.
Metallic boron is very hard; boron carbide is used in bullet
proof vests and tank armor.
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Calcium (Ca): Calcium is non-toxic
and an essential metal for living organisms. It forms alloys
with aluminum, beryllium, copper, magnesium and lead.
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Copper (Cu): Copper is an essential
element to all plants and animals; however like with most
things, too much is toxic. Copper is an excellent conductor
of heat and electricity (only silver has higher conductivity
rate than copper). Being such a good conductor of heat, we
use copper bottom cooking pots but it’s important for the
inside to be lined. Acidic foods cooked on copper would
surely cause toxicity.
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Chromium (Cr): Chromium metal is an
essential trace element, but chromium compounds are very
toxic and recognized as a human carcinogenic via inhalation.
Used in stainless steel and other alloys, the metal is
commonly used for plating to produce a shiny, hard surface
that is resistant to corrosion.
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Cadmium (Cd): Cadmium is an
excellent electrical conductor with good resistance to
corrosion but it has a high toxicity. We commonly use it in
batteries (especially the rechargeable NiCad) and for
electroplating. Cadmium and Tellurium can be compounded for
solar cell production (harvesting solar energy).
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Chlorine (Cl): Chlorine in liquid
form will burn the skin, but as a gas acts as an irritant
for the respiratory and other mucus membranes. Humans can
smell as little amount as 3.5 ppm making it easily
detectable, however a few breaths at a concentrated level of
1000 ppm is usually fatal. We use chlorine in many everyday
products including disinfectant of drinking water and
insecticides. Also used in the production of medicine, food,
textiles, paper products and the list goes on.
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Iron (Fe): Iron is considered to be
non-toxic and is believed to have first come from
meteorites. Adding carbon to iron to make steel was probably
accidental at first. It’s a relatively soft metal, as well
as ductile, gray and a moderately good conductor of heat and
electricity.
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Lead (Pb): Lead and its compounds
are a cumulative toxins; resistant to corrosion but a poor
conductor of electricity. It is commonly used in cable
coverings, ammunition, electrodes, storage batteries, solder
and roofing materials. The metal is a shielding from
radiation in X-Ray Rooms and Nuclear Reactors, and Lead
Oxide for the manufacture of fine crystal glass.
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Mercury (Hg): Mercury and most of
its compounds are highly toxic. Most commonly described as
liquid silver, the pure metal is absorbed easily by
inhalation, ingestion, or thru skin. It is a chronic
pollutant and concentrates in animal/fish tissues in
increasing amounts up the food chain.
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Manganese (Mn): Manganese is
essential for photosynthesis; there would be no free oxygen
on earth without it. Our bodies contain tiny amounts of
manganese (10-20mg). If you cut a dime into 100 equal
pieces, each piece would weigh more than the weight of
manganese in the human body. Our bodies cannot store
manganese so it has to be topped up frequently. Excess
manganese, particularly inhalation of the powder/dust is
toxic and may cause a medical condition similar to
Parkinson’s disease.
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Nickel (Ni): Nickel and its
compounds are considered to be carcinogenic. Approximately
10 to 20 percent of people are sensitive to nickel. Such
people should avoid contact with nickel, which can be found
in jewelry. Repeated contact with it leads to skin
complaints (dermatitis). Workers who have breathed very
large amounts of nickel compounds have developed chronic
bronchitis, lung and nasal cancers. Nickel carbonyl is a
very toxic gas. Nickel steel is used for burglar-proof
vaults and armor plate.
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Phosphorus (P): White phosphorus is
highly toxic; used in pyrotechnics and incendiary shells,
skin contact can result in severe burns. Red phosphorus
(provided it is not contaminated with white phosphorus) is
considered non-toxic and used for safety matches.
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Potassium (K): In healthy people
with normal kidney function, potassium intake from food does
not seem to pose potential for increased risk because excess
is readily excreted in the urine. Elemental potassium is
highly reactive and must be handled with extreme care.
Potassium Nitrate is the main explosive ingredient in
gunpowder.
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Selenium (Se): Selenium may be used
in dandruff-control shampoo, but many of selenium’s
compounds such as selenates and selenites are highly toxic.
Hydrogen selenide gas is selenium’s most acutely toxic
compound although other compounds are highly poisonous also
resembling arsenic in their physiological reactions. It also
exhibits photovoltaic action, where light
is converted directly into electricity and photoconductive
action, where electrical resistance decreases with increased
illumination.
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Silicon (Si): Silicon is not known
to be toxic however if breathed in as a fine silica/silicate
dust, it may cause chronic respiratory problems. Silicates
such as asbestos are carcinogenic. Silicones range from
liquids to hard solids and have many useful properties
including use as adhesives, sealants and insulators.
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Sodium (Na): Sodium is considered to
be non-toxic however; contact with skin may cause irritation
and burns.
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Sulfur (S): Elemental sulfur is
considered to be of low toxicity; compounds such as carbon
disulfide, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide are toxic.
For example, at .03ppm (parts per million), we can smell
hydrogen sulfide but it is regarded as safe for up to 8
hours of exposure. At 4ppm, eye irritation…20ppm for more
than a minute, severe injury to eye nerves. 700ppm,
breathing stops resulting in death or brain damage. The
“rotten egg” smell of sulfur gas is commonly used for stink
bombs. Sulfur is also found in meteorites and native in
proximity to hot springs and volcanoes.
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Silver (Ag): Silver has the highest
electrical and thermal conductivity rate of all the metals.
Typically considered non-toxic however most silver salts are
considered poisonous and some may be carcinogenic.
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Tin (Sn): Tin is considered
non-toxic but most tin salts are in fact toxic. Tin is used
as a surface coating of other metals to prevent them from
corrosion, for example, tin cans are made of tin coated
steel
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Thallium (Ti): Thallium and its
compounds are highly toxic. 1920-1972 thallium sulfate was
widely used as rat poison and insecticide; its use has been
discontinued in some countries including the U.S.A.;
odorless and colorless it was killing unintended victims
including humans and bald eagles. The average lethal dose is
10-15mg per kg of body weight. In appearance it resembles
lead and can be cut with a knife.
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Tellurium (Te): Very toxic and
teratogenic (can cause harm to developing embryos). Exposure
to as little as .01mg/m ² or less in air leads to “tellurium
breath” which has a garlic like odor. Tellurium is added at
very low levels to lead to decrease corrosive action of
sulfuric acid in batteries and to improve the leads strength
and hardness.
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Titanium (Ti): Titanium metal is
considered to be non-toxic. As metal shavings, or powder, it
is a considerable fire hazard. Titanium chlorides are
corrosive. Pure titanium is a light, silvery-white, hard,
lustrous metal. It has excellent strength and corrosion
resistance and also has a high strength to weight ratio.
Alloys of titanium are mainly used in aerospace, aircraft
and engines where strong, lightweight, temperature-resistant
materials are needed.
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Zinc (Zn): Zinc is not considered to
be particularly toxic, actually essential for good health.
Excess would be toxic and cause nausea.