Poisons of the Periodic Table
By John Huang
When people often associate poisons with the periodic table. They immediately think of the element of Hg or Mercury. That however, is not the only poison that is present in the periodic table as it is filled with a variety of danger elements each differing with a level of severity. But first we have to answer a few questions:
What is a poison?
A poison is any substance that causes harm to a living organism; with harm ranging from minor pain to death.
What is metal toxicity?
It is when certain metals give off toxic effects to living things. Sometimes certain metals can bond with other substances to make poisonous solutions.
For each of the elements they will be separated into categories of Low , Mild , and High serveries.
Low Severity
Carbon - Carbon, although being a major component in life itself it still can be detrimental to humans. In the human body we exhale a form of Carbon called CO2. Carbon Dioxide is one of the primary Greenhouse gases which is released by humans. To be exact Carbon Dioxide accounts for 82% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. This is due to the fact that humans both exhale CO2 and burn fossil fuels to produce energy. Carbon Dioxide is also present in the blood stream as a waste product, too much of CO2 in the bloodstream could lead to permanent damage to respiratory systems like lungs and damage to the nervous system as well.
Hydrogen- Hydrogen sure makes water but did you know it could be acidic? In it's acidic form it is called H3O+ or Hydronium to be exact. Hydrogen ions play a major factor in determining whether a solution is acidic or basic as see various strong acids like HCL or HI which are composed of hydrogen ions.
Lead- Lead is most commonly found in paint but is also used in the components of automobiles like car batteries. Lead is often consumed as dust or fumes. Large consumption of Lead could lead to death, studies have also shown that lead could affect IQ in younger children. One could be exposed to Lead poisoning from old paint or any old car batteries lying around but chances of getting Lead poisoning are slim.
Chromium- Chromium is a metal that is used with steel to harden it. In the human body small amounts of Chromium are essential to healthy body. It is also used to treat diabetes by lowering blood sugar. However large doses of Chromium have been known to cause rashes, impaired cognitive function and both liver and kidney damage. Chances of getting Chromium poisoning are slim unless you're either a steel worker or you take chromium supplements.
What is a poison?
A poison is any substance that causes harm to a living organism; with harm ranging from minor pain to death.
What is metal toxicity?
It is when certain metals give off toxic effects to living things. Sometimes certain metals can bond with other substances to make poisonous solutions.
For each of the elements they will be separated into categories of Low , Mild , and High serveries.
Low Severity
Carbon - Carbon, although being a major component in life itself it still can be detrimental to humans. In the human body we exhale a form of Carbon called CO2. Carbon Dioxide is one of the primary Greenhouse gases which is released by humans. To be exact Carbon Dioxide accounts for 82% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. This is due to the fact that humans both exhale CO2 and burn fossil fuels to produce energy. Carbon Dioxide is also present in the blood stream as a waste product, too much of CO2 in the bloodstream could lead to permanent damage to respiratory systems like lungs and damage to the nervous system as well.
Hydrogen- Hydrogen sure makes water but did you know it could be acidic? In it's acidic form it is called H3O+ or Hydronium to be exact. Hydrogen ions play a major factor in determining whether a solution is acidic or basic as see various strong acids like HCL or HI which are composed of hydrogen ions.
Lead- Lead is most commonly found in paint but is also used in the components of automobiles like car batteries. Lead is often consumed as dust or fumes. Large consumption of Lead could lead to death, studies have also shown that lead could affect IQ in younger children. One could be exposed to Lead poisoning from old paint or any old car batteries lying around but chances of getting Lead poisoning are slim.
Chromium- Chromium is a metal that is used with steel to harden it. In the human body small amounts of Chromium are essential to healthy body. It is also used to treat diabetes by lowering blood sugar. However large doses of Chromium have been known to cause rashes, impaired cognitive function and both liver and kidney damage. Chances of getting Chromium poisoning are slim unless you're either a steel worker or you take chromium supplements.
Mild severity
Beryllium- Beryllium was named after a disease called beryllium. It is an incurable disease often confused for tuberculosis. it is one of the lightest metals and it has the highest boiling point when compared to other light metals. Because of this, it is used for structural building of missiles and communication satellites.
Fluorine- Fluorine on its own is like mustard gas, as it has been known to block airways and suffocate the victim. Fluorine is found in toothpaste as its compound form sodium fluoride.
Mercury - Mercury can be absorbed through the skin. it is most famous for the origin of "mad hatters" where hat makers would use mercury to create felts or animal skins to shape into hats. In recent times mercury has been used for the creation of thermometers. Mercury has been known to cause muscle deficiency and memory loss. at higher doses it can cause respiratory damage to lungs.
Arsenic- is another common poisonous element as it has been used since the Victorian times. The side effects include vomiting, diarrhea and internal bleeding. Arsenic is used by farmers for wood preservation and insecticides to kill insects on plants.
Beryllium- Beryllium was named after a disease called beryllium. It is an incurable disease often confused for tuberculosis. it is one of the lightest metals and it has the highest boiling point when compared to other light metals. Because of this, it is used for structural building of missiles and communication satellites.
Fluorine- Fluorine on its own is like mustard gas, as it has been known to block airways and suffocate the victim. Fluorine is found in toothpaste as its compound form sodium fluoride.
Mercury - Mercury can be absorbed through the skin. it is most famous for the origin of "mad hatters" where hat makers would use mercury to create felts or animal skins to shape into hats. In recent times mercury has been used for the creation of thermometers. Mercury has been known to cause muscle deficiency and memory loss. at higher doses it can cause respiratory damage to lungs.
Arsenic- is another common poisonous element as it has been used since the Victorian times. The side effects include vomiting, diarrhea and internal bleeding. Arsenic is used by farmers for wood preservation and insecticides to kill insects on plants.
High severity
Cesium- cesium like all the other group one elements, is a highly reactive that explodes upon contact with any substance. Cesium is used in atomic clocks and it is very radioactive.
Polonium- Polonium is very scarce as it is hard to produce. it is used to remove any static electricity from machinery. Polonium -210 has been used for poisoning but it can be easily excreted through feces. Victims affected by it would feel symptoms similar to the end stage of cancer. a whole gram of polonium would be enough to kill 1 0 million people.
Plutonium-Plutonium is the most radioactive man made substance. This means that it is highly unstable and very detrimental as it emits particles that stay in the body for decades exposing organs to increased chances of cancer. Plutonium was used for the creation of nuclear bombs, example being the bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. It is said that half a gram if released into the atmosphere could kill 2 million people and you wonder why it is called "pu".
Cesium- cesium like all the other group one elements, is a highly reactive that explodes upon contact with any substance. Cesium is used in atomic clocks and it is very radioactive.
Polonium- Polonium is very scarce as it is hard to produce. it is used to remove any static electricity from machinery. Polonium -210 has been used for poisoning but it can be easily excreted through feces. Victims affected by it would feel symptoms similar to the end stage of cancer. a whole gram of polonium would be enough to kill 1 0 million people.
Plutonium-Plutonium is the most radioactive man made substance. This means that it is highly unstable and very detrimental as it emits particles that stay in the body for decades exposing organs to increased chances of cancer. Plutonium was used for the creation of nuclear bombs, example being the bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. It is said that half a gram if released into the atmosphere could kill 2 million people and you wonder why it is called "pu".
Conclusion:
There are many dangerous elements and substances out there than the ones I have listed. Many of these are used in everyday substances and it is important to realize what is used in what to create awareness. Poisons come in all shapes and sizes and they don't have to be necessarily visible. |
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