Zirconium - 40Zr: biological information
Zirconium has no biological role. The tolerance of human tissues to it makes the metal suitable for some artificial joints and limbs.
Levels in humans
The abundances of the elements in humans.
- Human abundance by weight: 50 ppb by weight
- Human abundance by atoms: 3 atoms relative to C = 1000000
How much zirconium is in your body? Find out here.
You can use this form to calculate how much zirconium 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 zirconium:
Zirconium compounds are encountered relatively rarely by most people. There is little toxicological data but it seems most compounds are not inherently toxic. The metal dust should be treated as a major 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.