Monday, December 28, 2020

we're moving into the middle of the periodic table, now, so let's do a quick write-up on what's left.

there's a useful powerpoint slide (stored as a pdf) by the royal society up here:

this is all tentative, but it should guide what's left. the greens should get write-ups, whereas the yellows might get write-ups and the oranges and reds will be identified by their level of threat and measured for the aim of restriction wherever justified.

scandium is poisonous, but also very trace. if you regularly have measurable levels of scandium in your diet, you should probably move.
titanium does not appear to have a role in human health and would only end up in my diet from soil. while it may be used as an additive in food you eat, it does not seem to appear in my diet.
vanadium is thought to have some role as a trace nutrient. the following site suggests "10-100" µg as an rdi
chromium is an essential nutrient with an rdi.
manganese is an essential nutrient with an rdi.
iron is an essential nutrient with an rdi.
cobalt is an important part of b12, but otherwise poisonous. you don't want to try to eat free cobalt. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
nickel is thought to have some role as a trace nutrient. the following site suggests 100-200 µg as an rdi
copper is an essential nutrient with an rdi.
zinc is an essential nutrient with an rdi.
- gallium is weird, but largely non-toxic and mostly useless for human biochemistry. it would only end up in my diet from soil
- germanium is largely non-toxic and mostly useless for human biochemistry. it would only end up in my diet from soil
- arsenic is a known carcinogen and should be avoided. it would only end up in my diet from soil
selenium is an essential nutrient with an rdi.
bromine (a halogen) may be necessary, and we'll have to look into that:
krypton. inert. unless you're superman.

rubidium is weird, but largely non-toxic and mostly useless for human biochemistry. it would only end up in my diet from soil
strontium can trick your body into thinking it's calcium, but you're better off with calcium. you should avoid this. it would only end up in my diet from soil
- yttrium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- zirconium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- niobium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
molybdenum is an essential nutrient with an rdi.
- technetium does not exist naturally, and would be unstable in the body if consumed.
- ruthenium heavy metal. itself is mostly inert, but it oxidizes to a noxious substance. should be avoided.
- rhodium. heavy metal. no biological use.
- palladium. heavy metal. no biological use. toxic.
silver. heavy metal. no biological use. non-toxic, but useless, and most silver salts are toxic.
- cadmium. poison. avoid.
- indium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- tin is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
antimony is poison. avoid.
tellurium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
iodine is an essential nutrient with an rdi.
xenon is inert.

cesium reacts explosively with water. don't eat.
barium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- lan­thanum is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- cerium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- praseo­dymium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- neo­dymium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- prome­thium is no longer present on this planet. all of it has decayed to other elements.
- sama­rium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- europ­ium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- gadolin­ium used to be used as an mri imaging tool, but toxicity concerns have developed and it's use has decreased. i thought it was a crazy idea and refused it when they sent me in for an mri. i'm listing it as toxic. avoid.
- ter­bium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- dyspro­sium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- hol­mium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- erbium. toxic. avoid.
- thulium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- ytter­bium is toxic. avoid.
- lute­tium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- halfnium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- tantalum is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- tungsten  is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- rhenium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- osmium is toxic. avoid.
- iridium is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- platinum is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- gold is only mildly toxic, but totally useless. it would only end up in my diet from soil.
- mercury is toxic. avoid.
- thallium is toxic. avoid.
- lead is toxic. avoid.
- bismuth is toxic. avoid.
- polonium is toxic. avoid.
- astatine is toxic. avoid.
- radon. inert.