Cerium - 58Ce: biological information
Cerium has no biological role but is said to stimulate the metabolism. The British Pharmaceutical Codex from 1907 indicates that cerium nitrate ["cerii nitras", Ce(NO3)3] was used to treat dyspepsia, pyrosis, and vomiting (especially "vomiting of pregnancy") in doses of 0.05-0.3 g ("1 to 5 grains") and that cerium salts have pharmacological properties similar to those of bismuth. The oxalate ["cerii oxalas", Ce2(C2O4)3.9H2O] was also used for "chronic vomiting, especially the vomiting of pregnancy." The doses were 0.6 g, three times a day for several days if necessary.
Levels in humans
The abundances of the elements in humans.
- Human abundance by weight: (no data) ppb by weight
- Human abundance by atoms: (no data) atoms relative to C = 1000000
How much cerium is in your body? Find out here.
You can use this form to calculate how much cerium your body contains. Enter your weight in either kilograms or pounds and click the "Calculate" button. You must enter a number, not text! Elements for which there are no data will always give a value of zero for the weight, no matter what you put in the weight box.
Hazards and Risks
Hazards and risks associated with cerium:
Cerium compounds are encountered rarely by most people. All cerium compounds should be regarded as highly toxic although initial evidence would appear to suggest the danger is limited. The metal dust presents a fire and explosion hazard.
References
- J.E. Huheey, E.A. Keiter, and R.L. Keiter in Inorganic Chemistry : Principles of Structure and Reactivity, 4th edition, HarperCollins, New York, USA, 1993.
- S. Budavari (Ed.) in The Merck Index, 11th ed., Merck, USA, 1989.
- N.N. Greenwood and A. Earnshaw in Chemistry of the Elements, 2nd edition, Butterworth, UK, 1997.