Rubidium - ₃₇Rb: biological information

Rubidium has no biological role but is said to stimulate the metabolism. It can accumulate ahead of potassium in muscle.

Levels in humans

The abundances of the elements in humans.

• Human abundance by weight: 4600 ppb by weight
• Human abundance by atoms: 340 atoms relative to C = 1000000

How much rubidium is in your body? Find out here.

You can use this form to calculate how much rubidium 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 rubidium:

Rubidium salts are generally inert, and their toxicity is almost always a consequence of the anion, not of the Rb⁺. Nevertheless ingestion should always be avoided. In the body, rubidium substitutes for potassium and too much can be dangerous. Large amounts cause hyperirritability and spasms.

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.