Thallium - 81Tl: biological information
Thallium has no biological role. Thallium compounds are extremely toxic. Their effects are cumulative and they can be absorbed though the skin. Thallium poisoning takes several days to act and it affects the nervous system.
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 thallium is in your body? Find out here.
You can use this form to calculate how much thallium 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 thallium:
All thallium compounds are to be avoided and should only be handled by competent personnel taking proper precautions. Thallium compounds are extremely toxic. Their effects are cumulative and they can be absorbed though the skin. Thallium poisoning takes several days to act and it affects the nervous system. Thallium compounds are teratogenic.
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.