Hafnium

Hafnium is a lustrous, silvery, ductile metal. It restists corrosion due to formation of a tough, impenetrable oxide film on its surface. The metal is unaffected by alkalis and acids, except hydrofluoric acid. Hafnium is difficult to separate form its group 4 partner, zirconium, because the two elements have atoms that are the same size.

Applications

Hafnium and its alloys are used for control rods in nuclear reactors and nuclear submarines because hafnium is excellent at absorbing neutrons and it has a very high melting point and is corrosion resistant. It is used in high-temperature alloys and ceramics, since some of its compounds are very refractory: they will not melt except under the most extreme temperatures.

Hafnium in the enviroment

Hafnium ores are rare, but two are known: hafnon and alvite. Industrial production of hafnium metal is not much more than 50 tonnes a year. Known reserves are not recorded, but can be estimated from those of zirconium.

Health effects of hafnium

Hafnium metal does not normally cause problems but all hafnium compounds should be regarded as toxic although initial evidence would appear to suggest the danger is limited. The metal dust presents a fire and explosion hazard.

Hafnium metal has no known toxicity. The metal is completely insoluble in water, saline solutions or body chemicals. Exposure to hafnium can occur through inhalation, ingestion, and eye or skin contact.

Overexposure to hafnium and its compounds may cause mild irritation of the eyes, skin, and mucous membranes.

No signs and symptoms of chronic exposure to hafnium have been reported in humans.

Environmental effects of hafnium

Hafnium poses not threat to plants. Plants take up small amounts of hafnium from the soil in which they grow.

Effects on Animals: Data on the toxicity of hafnium metal or its dust are scant. Animal studies indicate that hafnium compounds cause eye, skin, and mucous membrane irritation, and liver damage. The oral LD50 for hafnium tetrachloride in rats is 2,362 mg/kg, and the intraperitoneal LD 50 in mice for hafnium oxychloride is 112 mg/kg.

(LD50 = Lethal dose 50 = Single dose of a substance that causes the death of 50% of an animal population from exposure to the substance by any route other than inhalation. LD50 is usually expressed as milligrams or grams of material per kilogram of animal weight (mg/kg or g/kg).)

No negative environmental effects have been reported.

Lanthanum

Lanthanum is a soft, malleable, ductile, silver-white metal. It is chemically active, it is one of the most reactive of the rare-earth metals: it oxidizes rapidly in air and it reacts with water to form the hydroxide. Lanthanum is easily ignited, its salts are often very insoluble.

Applications

Lanthanum is one of the rare chemicals, that can be found in houses in equipment such as colour televisions, fluorescent lamps, energy-saving lamps and glasses. All rare chemicals have comparable properties. La2O2 is used to make special optical glasses (infrared adsorbing glass, camera and telescope lenses). If added in small amounts it improves the malleability and resistence of steel. Lanthanum is used as the core material in carbon arc electrodes. Lanthanum salts are included in the zeolite catalysts used in petroleum refining because thay stabilize the zeolite at high temperatures.

Lanthanium in the environment

Lanthanum can rarely be found in nature, as it occurs in very small amounts. It is anyway one of the more abundant rare-earch elements. Lanthanum is usually found only in two different kinds of ores. World production of lanthanum oxide in around 12.000 tonnes per year, and currently nown reseves of lanthanum are around 6 million tonnes.

The use of lanthanum is still growing, due to the fact that it is suited to produce catalysers and to polish glass.

Health effects of lanthanum

Lanthanum is mostly dangerous in the working environment, due to the fact that damps and gasses can be inhaled with air. This can cause lung embolisms, especially during long-term exposure. Lanthanum can also cause cancer with humans, as it enlarges the chances of lung cancer when it is inhaled. Finally, it can be a threat to the liver when it accumulates in the human body.

Environmental effects of lanthanum

Lanthanum is dumped in the environment in many different places, mainly by petrol-producing industries. It can also enter the environment when household equipment is thrown away. Lanthanum will gradually accumulate in soils and water soils and this will eventually lead to increasing concentrations in humans, animals and soil particles.

With water animals Lanthanum causes damage to cell membranes, which has several negative influences on reproduction and on the functions of the nervous system. It strongly accumulates in mussels.

Barium

Barium is a silvery-white metal that can be found in the environment, where it exists naturally. It occurs combined with other chemicals, such as sulfur, carbon oroxygen. Ii is very light and its density is half that of iron. Barium oxidizes in air, reacts vigoroulsy with water to form the hydroxide, liberating hydrogen. Barium reacts with almost all the non-metals, forming often poisouning compounds.

Applications

Barium is often used in barium-nickel alloys for spark-plug electrodes an in vacuum tubes as drying and oxygen-removing agent. It is also used in fluorescent lamps: impure barium sulfide phosphoresces after exposure to the light.
Barium compounds are used by the oil and gas industries to make drilling mud. Drilling mud simplifies drilling through rocks by lubricating the drill.
Barium compounds are also used to make paint, bricks, tiles, glass, and rubber. Barium nitrate and clorate give fireworks a green colour.

Barium in the environment

Barium is surprisingly abundant in the Earth’s crust, being the 14th most abundant element. High amounts of barium may only be found in soils and in food, such as nuts, seaweed, fish and certain plants.
Because of the extensive use of barium in the industries human activities add greatly to the release of barium in the environment. As a result barium concentrations in air, water and soil may be higher than naturally occurring concentrations on many locations.

Barium enters the air during mining processes, refining processes, and during the production of barium compounds. It can also enter the air during coal and oil combustion.

The chief mined ores are barite, which is also the most common and witserite. The main mining areas are UK, Italy, Czech Republic, USA and Germany. Each year about 6 million tonnes are produced and reserves are expected to exceed 400 million tonnes.

Health effects of barium

The amount of barium that is detected in food and water usually is not high enough to become a health concern.
People with the greatest risk to barium exposure with additional health effects are those that work in the barium industry. Most of the health risks that they can undergo are caused by breathing in air that contains barium sulphate or barium carbonate.

Many hazardous waste sites contain certain amounts of barium. People that live near them may be exposed to harmful levels. The exposure will than be caused by breathing dust, eating soil or plants, or drinking water that is polluted with barium. Skin contact may also occur.

The health effects of barium depend upon the water-solubility of the compounds. Barium compounds that dissolve in water can be harmful to human health. The uptake of very large amounts of barium that are water-soluble may cause paralyses and in some cases even death.

Small amounts of water-soluble barium may cause a person to experience breathing difficulties, increased blood pressures, heart rhythm changes, stomach irritation, muscle weakness, changes in nerve reflexes, swelling of brains and liver, kidney and heart damage.

Barium has not shown to cause cancer with humans. There is no proof that barium can cause infertility or birth defects.

Environmental effects of barium

Some barium compounds that are released during industrial processes dissolve easily in water and are found in lakes, rivers, and streams. Because of their water-solubility these barium compounds can spread over great distances. When fish and other aquatic organisms absorb the barium compounds, barium will accumulate in their bodies.
Because it forms insoluble salts with other common components of the environment, such as carbonate and sulphate, barium is not mobile and poses little risk. Barium compounds that are persistent usually remain in soil surfaces, or in the sediment of water soils. Barium is found in most land soils at low levels. These levels may be higher at hazardous waste sites.

Cesium

Cesium is a silvery, soft metal that is found in nature. An alkali metal that melts at 28°C (82 °F), the physical properties of cesium are similar to that of potassium and rubidium. This metal is very reactive. Studies have shown that it reacts even with water at low temperatures. It is therefore regarded as hazardous material

The symbol of Cesium is Cs and the atomic number is 55. The naturally occurring atomic weight is 133.

Let us know look at some more information and facts about Cesium.

  • Cesium has 11 main radioactive isotopes.
  • Out of the above mentioned isotopes, the main ones of concern are cesium-134, cesium-135 and cesium 137.
  • Cesium is present naturally in the soil and also as isotope 133.
  • Cesium is also found as a contaminant in places that process used nuclear fuel as well as in nuclear reactors.

Cesium supplements are available in the market and are promoted as cesium chloride pills. Cesium chloride is a more stable and nonradioactive form of cesium. Some doctors may advise taking such cesium supplements for the treatment of cancer but studies are yet to show that they are effective in treating the disease. Many patients have reported serious side effects such as heart attacks, loss of consciousness, seizures and so on after taking the supplements.

The various health benefits of cesium are still being studied. Some experts are of the opinion that cesium chloride could be beneficial in treating various types of cancers. Certain research has shown that cerium chloride is effective in fighting and killing cancer cells. Cesium chloride helps to create an oxygen rich environment for the cancer cells. This helps because cancer cells require an acidic environment to thrive in.

Cesium For Cancer

Before understanding how cesium helps to treat prostate cancer, it is important to look at how cesium and cancer are connected. As mentioned earlier in this article, cancer needs an acidic environment to thrive in, as cancerous tissues and cells are acidic. Healthy cells are alkaline in nature. Research carried out in this field indicates that cancer cells need an environment with low pH values. If one was to raise the pH value of the cells, the cancer cells would find it difficult to survive in such an environment. This is where the effectiveness of cesium comes in. Cesium is an alkaline element and has a high pH value. It helps to raise the pH value of the cells and thus the cancer cells cannot survive in such an environment. This sort of treatment for cancer is known as high pH therapy. Trials for the use of this therapy were carried out on mice to see the effectiveness of cesium in treating cancer. Prostate cancer may be treated with cesium. It is known as Cesium-131 brachytherapy. This involves planting radioactive seeds into the tumor that is present. The radiation helps to stop the growth of the cancer cells or kills them. This prevents further problems like incontinence.

Uterine cancer can also be treated in the same way i.e. through brachytherapy. Treatment is usually given for five days, spread over a period of five weeks. The seeds of cesium 137 are placed in a special applicator. This special applicator is then placed into the uterus, vagina or cervix.

Cesium Side Effects

There are many cesium side effects that can occur after undergoing this kind of radiation treatment. Cesium effects on heath include:

  • Loss of consciousness: large amounts of cesium chloride can make you lose consciousness.
  • Irregular heartbeat: This is another unpleasant side effect associated with cesium.
  • Diarrhea: Taking large amounts of cesium chloride could also result in diarrhea.
  • Seizures: This is yet another dangerous side effect that could occur after taking large amounts of cesium chloride.
  • Nausea: Nausea can also occur after taking large doses of cesium. This can be alleviated by drinking beverages that help to eliminate this feeling. The nausea occurs because cesium is a highly alkaline mineral and reacts with anything acidic. Stomach acid is acidic and this gives rise to the nausea.
  • Numbness: Some patients report numbness in various parts of the body after taking this cesium supplement. This numbness can be felt in the feet, hands or lips. A tingling around the mouth or nose can be experienced as well.
  • Hypokalemia: The use of cesium along with other drugs like diuretics may result in hypokalemia.

Xenon

XENON is one of the shyest members of the periodic table of the elements. Chemically, it is almost inert, and physically, it makes up only 0.000009% of the atmosphere, so it is not surprising that it was among the last of the naturally occurring elements to be identified, in 1898. Biologically, however, it is not shy at all. In some countries, notably Russia, it is used as an anaesthetic. It is also known to protect body tissues from the effects of low temperatures, lack of oxygen and even physical trauma. In particular, it increases levels of erythropoietin, also known as EPO, a hormone that encourages the formation of red blood cells.

Xenon’s protective and EPO-boosting properties mean it is being investigated as a treatment for babies whose brains have accidentally been starved of oxygen during birth, and of adults who have had heart attacks. But it is also, in Russia, being used as a way to improve athletic performance.

Xenon works its magic by activating production of a protein called Hif-1 alpha. This acts as a transcription factor: a chemical switch that turns on production of a variety of other proteins, one of which is EPO. Artificially raising levels of EPO, by injecting synthetic versions of the hormone or by taking so-called Hif stabilisers (drugs that discourage the breakdown of Hif-1 alpha), is illegal under the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Other methods of boosting the hormone, however, are permissible—and that fact has not gone unnoticed by the Russian sports authorities. Athletes are allowed to live or train at altitude, or sleep in a low-oxygen tent, in order to stimulate red-cell production. If xenon treatment is merely replicating low-oxygen environments by replacing oxygen with xenon, then its use to enhance athletic performance is permissible.

The use of xenon by athletes certainly has government blessing. A document produced in 2010 by the State Research Institute of the Ministry of Defence sets out guidelines for the administration of the gas to athletes. It advises using it before competitions to correct listlessness and sleep disruption, and afterwards to improve physical recovery. The recommended dose is a 50:50 mixture of xenon and oxygen, inhaled for a few minutes, ideally before going to bed. The gas’s action, the manual states, continues for 48-72 hours, so repeating every few days is a good idea. And for last-minute jitters, a quick hit an hour before the starting gun can help.

The benefits, the manual suggests, include increasing heart and lung capacity, preventing muscle fatigue, boosting testosterone and improving an athlete’s mood. Similar benefits have been noted in papers in Russian scientific journals, and in conference presentations describing tests of xenon on mountain climbers, paddlers, soldiers and pilots.

And the gas appears to have been used in past Olympics. The website of Atom Medical Centre, a Russian medical-xenon producer, cites national honours the company received for its efforts in preparing athletes for the 2004 summer Olympics and the 2006 winter games.

Something the published Russian reports do not go into, however, are measurements of EPO or Hif-1 alpha. Yet animal studies elsewhere have demonstrated xenon’s dramatic effects on both. One such, carried out in 2009 by Mervyn Maze at Imperial College, London, found that exposing mice to a mixture of 70% xenon and 30% oxygen for two hours more than doubled the animals’ EPO levels a day later. Another, by Xiaoqiang Ding of Fudan University in Shanghai, found that Hif-1 alpha levels in mice stayed high for up to 48 hours after treatment. By contrast, mice put in a low-oxygen enclosure saw an EPO increase that lasted less than two hours.

Similar physiological effects may take place in people. In healthy adults, two hours in a low-oxygen chamber raises EPO levels by 50%, and the effect disappears (as in mice) within a few hours. The Russian manual indicates, by contrast, that xenon’s benefits last for days—as might be expected if they were caused by the sort of Hif-1 alpha response seen in mice.

Iodine

Iodine is a trace element, which means that we don’t need a ton of it in order to function properly, but we still need it. The kicker is that the body doesn’t make it naturally, so we’ve got to get it from outside sources. Running low on it for long periods of time will result inIodine Deficiency. This means you’ll be missing out on the following benefits, and also setting yourself up for certain conditions and diseases. Here are some of the things that Iodine can help with:

iodine improves cognitive abilities

1. Improves Cognitive Abilities

It’s been shown that those with an impairment in cognitive function are brought up to speed on their Iodine levels there is an improvement that goes along with it. For most people their cognitive functioning is just fine, and this is due to getting enough Iodine on a regular basis. For those that have had a sinking suspicion that they are behind in both cognitive abilities and having low amounts of Iodine, it’s worth getting things checked out.

2. Detoxes Fluoride

You don’t want to consumer too much Iodine just to try to get rid of fluoride, but getting the right amount of Iodine will help to make sure that your body has the ability to combat the level of toxic fluoride. Fluoride accumulates in the body over time, so it’s good to be able to help neutralize it with Iodine, rather than letting it store up over several months of even years. The good news is that you are likely getting enough Iodine, so this is happening for most people automatically.

3. Improves Metabolism

Your thyroid is a major factor in regulating your metabolism, and if your Iodine levels are low, you run the risk of having an underactive thyroid, and therefore a sluggish metabolism. Get your Iodine levels to a good place and all else being equal you should see an increase in your metabolic rate. It’s always a good idea to get tested to see if you do indeed have an Iodine deficiency, rather than just assuming you do and taking a supplement when it’s not needed.

protects thyroid

4. Protects Thyroid

Because of the world we live in, each day we’re bombarded by products, foods, drinks, and lifestyles that expose us to free radicals. These attack the body, including the thyroid. Having the right amount of Iodine helps to protect the thyroid from free radical damage. Not having enough means you are leaving it susceptible to this damage, which over time can lead to additional problems and conditions.

5. Balances Hormones

Having low amounts of Iodine can throw your hormones out of whack because it has a direct effect on your thyroid gland, which in turn regulates many of your hormones. It has also been said to help bring your libido up to its natural levels. Sometimes it can be hard to identify the symptoms of low Iodine, but together with your doctor you can figure it out, and if you find out that you’ve been running a shortage you can take steps to make things right again.

6. Improves Hair Growth

You shouldn’t start taking massive amounts of Iodine in hopes that it will help turn around your male pattern baldness, but it has been linked to the health of the hair, and how fast it grows. This is just one sign that you may be running behind on your Iodine, if you’ve noticed that your hair is not growing as quickly, or as fully as it used to. Be sure to look for other signs before drawing conclusions.

increases energy levels

7. Increases Energy Levels

Not getting enough Iodine each day sets you up for not having as much energy as you would otherwise. This is because it helps with proper thyroid function, and this is a big factor in whether you feel up and ready to go, or if you feel lethargic and like you need more rest. It’s not something that is often discussed when talking about healthy energy levels, but more and more we’re finding out the important role that Iodine plays in that department.

8. Provides Protection from Radiation

One benefit of Iodine that most people will hopefully not need to experience is that it helps protect from radiation. This can come in handy for disasters like the one at the nuclear power plant in Japan, but doctors are also using it to help patients recover from radiation treatments.

9. Protects from Pathogens

Iodine is being considered more and more as an alternative to using antibiotics in the body to treat certain pathogens. Many people do not like the idea of taking an oral antibiotic, since it’s been known to kill off good bacteria as well as bad, and can leave the body with excess levels of candida. But Iodine has been shown to have a similar effect while not damaging healthy bacteria that the body needs.

protects against cancer

10. Protects Against Cancer

In a process known as apoptosis, Iodine helps the body kill off cells that could end up leading to cancer. This is one of the most important reasons to get your Iodine levels checked at your next doctor visit, or even to schedule a particular visit to have all of your vitamin and mineral levels checked. You can’t really know what you need to focus on if you don’t know what you’re lacking, or what you’re abundant in.

Tellurium

Tellurium is a semimetallic, lustrous, crystalline, brittle, silver-white element. It is usually available as a dark grey powder, it has the properties both of the metals and the non metals. Tellurium forms many compounds corresponding to those of sulfur and selenium. When burned in air tellurium has a greenish-blue flame and forms tellurium dioxide as a result. Tellurium is uneffected by water or hydrochloric acid, but dissolves in nitric acid.

Applications

Tellurium is often used as an additive to steel and it is often alloyed to aluminum,copper, lead or tin. Tellurium is added to lead to improve its durability, strenght and resistence to corrosion. It can be used for cast iron, ceramics, blasting caps, solar panels, chalcogenide glasses. When added to rubber, tellurium speeds up the curing process and makes the product less susceptible to ageing and less likely to be affected by oil, which softens normal rubber.

Tellurium in the environment

Tellurium is present in coal at up to 2 ppm. This is probably the major source of this metal, which can be taken by plants from soil. Tellurium in plants can reach level as high as 6 ppm, although few food plants have more than 0.5 ppm and most have less than 0.05 ppm.

Samples of uncombined tellurium can be sometimes found, but they are extremely rare. There are some tellurium minerals (calaverite, sylvanite, tellurite), but none is mined as a source of the element. World production is around 220 tonnes/year. Major producers are USA, Canada, Peru and Japan. The reserves of this element have not been assessed.

Health effects of tellurium

Fortunately, tellurium compounds are encountered rarely by most people. They are teratogenic and should only be handled by competent chemists since ingestion in even small amounts causes dreadful smelling breath and appalling body odour.

Routes of exposure: The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol.

Inhalation risk: Evaporation at 20°C is negligible; a harmful concentration of airborne particles can, however, be reached quickly when dispersed. Effects of inhalation: Drowsiness. Dry mouth. Metal taste. Headache. Garlic odour. Nausea.

Effects of short-term exposure: The aerosol of this substance irritates the eyes and the respiratory tract. The substance may cause effects on the liver and central nervous system. Exposure may result in garlic-like breath. Medical observation is indicated. Ingestion: Abdominal pain. Constipation. Vomiting.

Chemical dangers: Upon heating, toxic fumes are formed. Reacts vigorously with halogens or interhalogens causing fire hazard. Reacts with zinc with incandescence. Lithium silicide attacks tellurium with incandescence. Combustible. Finely dispersed particles form explosive mixtures in air.

Environmental effects of tellurium

Not harmful or readily rendered harmless by natural processes.

When heated to decomposition, tellurium chloride may emit toxic fumes of tellurium and chlorine.

Antimony

Antimony is a naturally occurring metal typically found in ore deposits. [1] Antimony is widely used in industry and present in all kinds of everyday items. Most commonly, the metal has been used as a flame retardant in products as diverse as toys, car seat covers, engine covers for light aircraft, clothing for kids, and uniforms for fire fighters. Beyond this, antimony is used to produce glass and ceramics, to make pigments, and in batteries. [2]

In comparison to other toxic chemicals and metals like lead, arsenic, barium, and aluminum, antimony doesn’t get as many mentions. However, it should. Because antimony is widely used and present in so many everyday items, the health problems caused by exposure to toxic antimony compounds are a real threat.

How Are We Exposed to Antimony?
Exposure to antimony compounds generally happens one of two ways: occupational and therapeutic. Exposure symptoms and the problems that people may experience can differ greatly between the two. Additionally, although it’s not often cited as a prime source, it is worth mentioning that the EPA has warned that drinking water with high antimony levels, over a period of years, could cause health problems. [1]

Occupational Exposure to Antimony
Some people work in industries or locations where toxic antimony compounds are more prevalent and this puts them in greater danger of suffering from related health problems. By far, those who have the greatest chance of coming into contact with toxic levels of antimony are port workers.

Why? Because antimony is used in brake pad systems for heavy weight vehicles, and port workers are exposed to that kind of traffic on a daily basis. The toxic compound is emitted from port vehicles and the workers breathe it in through their lungs. In one particular study researching antimony in the blood, a group of dockworkers had the highest levels of antimony ever reported. [3]

Perhaps the most frightening aspect to occupational exposure is the prevalence of additional toxins that co-exist. If an industrial plant has antimony present, isn’t it reasonable to assume other toxic compounds may be around too?

Surprisingly, one occupation that doesn’t show toxic levels of antimony is firefighting. Despite the fact that firefighters have been wearing flame-retardant uniforms that contain antimony since the 1960s and several people have raised concerns about this over the years, several studies have shown that fire retardant clothing doesn’t raise antimony toxicity levels. [4] [5]

Therapeutic Exposure to Antimony
A second group of people at risk for antimony exposure is patients suffering from schistosomiasis and leishmaniasis. Antimony is used as a part of the therapy for these conditions and can sometimes have toxic side effects that lead to pancreatitis and cardio toxicity. [6]

Health Dangers of Antimony
In general, how your body reacts to a toxic level of antimony will depend on how you were exposed. Those who breathed in the compound, like the port workers mentioned above, may suffer from symptoms like pneumoconiosis, gastrointestinal problems, antimony spots appearing on their skin, and
respiratory irritation. However, if you come into contact with actual antimony dust, you can experience symptoms like depression, dizziness, headaches, vomiting, kidney damage, or liver damage. One compound—antimony trioxide—is even believed to be carcinogenic, and antimony poisoning has also been known to lead to Adams-Stokes syndrome. [6]

Efforts to Reduce Exposure to Antimony
Over the last few decades, workplaces have instituted guidelines that have reduced the incidence of antimony poisoning, and therapeutic drugs with antimony undergo strict quality control measures. In addition, patients are continually monitored to ensure that their antimony readings stay within acceptable levels. [6]

And while the EPA and EU both have water standards for antimony they claim are well below toxic levels, those in the UK may want to be careful drinking juice concentrates. There are no set standards and, just a few years ago, researchers discovered antimony levels that far exceed tap water requirements. [1] [7] [8]

Governments now monitor bottled water since toxic antimony can leak from the plastic bottles into the water. California even passed a law in 2009 requiring testing, despite the fact that the levels in bottled water are actually below those of tap water. [7] [8] [9]

Mitigating Your Own Risks
Reducing your exposure to antimony, or any toxin, requires you to take an inventory of your life and determine exactly where you’re receiving exposure. Are you drinking purified water? Do you have a water treatment system in your house? Do you work in an environment where antimony is present? You need to address these issues at the source. Once you’ve eliminated sources of toxins in your life, cleansing your body may be the next step to a cleaner, healthier you.

References:

  1. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Basic information about Antimony in drinking water. Water. 2012 March 06.
  2. Edwaed Weil. Sergei Levchik. Flame retardants for plastics and textiles: practical applications. Hanser. 2009 June 1. ISBN-10: 1569904545. Print.
  3. Quiroz W, De Gregori I, Basilio P, Bravo M, Pinto M, Lobos MG. Heavy weight vehicle traffic and its relationship with antimony content in human blood. J Environ Monit. 2009 May;11(5):1051-5. doi: 10.1039/b815838j. Epub 2009 Mar 5.
  4. de Perio MA, Durgam S, Caldwell KL, Eisenberg J. A health hazard evaluation of antimony exposure in fire fighters. J Occup Environ Med. 2010 Jan;52(1):81-4. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181c7514a.
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pseudo-outbreak of antimony toxicity in firefighters – Florida, 2009. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2009 Nov 27;58(46):1300-2.
  6. Sundar S, Chakravarty J. Antimony toxicity. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010 Dec;7(12):4267-77. doi: 10.3390/ijerph7124267. Epub 2010 Dec 20. Review.
  7. Sophie Borland. Fruit juice cancer warning as scientists find harmful chemical in 16 drinks. Mail Online. 2010 March 1.
  8. Hansen C, Tsirigotaki A, Bak SA, Pergantis SA, Stürup S, Gammelgaard B, Hansen HR. Elevated antimony concentrations in commercial juices. J Environ Monit. 2010 Apr;12(4):822-4. doi: 10.1039/b926551a. Epub 2010 Feb 17.
  9. Sullivan MJ, Leavey S. Heavy metals in bottled natural spring water. J Environ Health. 2011 Jun;73(10):8-13.

Tin

Tin (Sn) is an element vital to human general health. Daily intake of tin ranges from 1 to 3 mg. In the past when tin cans and pans were used, tin intake was ten times bigger. Researches conducted on animals have shown that insufficiency of tin can cause reduced growth, loss of hearing, loss of hair and reduced feeding efficiency.

Tipton and Shafer have reported that after sudden death, traces of tin in human tissue had been found in brain, aorta, kidney, liver, muscle, ovary, spleen, pancreas, uterus, prostate and stomach but not in thyroid gland.

Benefits and Side Effects

Tin is connected to iodine in the same manner as calcium with magnesium. Iodine maintains thyroid gland while tin supports adrenals. Tin deficiency together with lack of vitamin C and vitamin B are causes of low adrenals. Since tin and adrenals are controlling the left side, this insufficiency leads to left-sided heart problems. This problem can then lead to breathing difficulties and asthma. Lack of tin may result in depression and fatigue while adding tin boosts energy and has positive effects on the mood. It can be also helpful with headaches, insomnia, digestion and skin problems as well as different pains and aches. Side effects of tin supplement can be digestive problems or skin reactions.

Reported toxicity of tin is connected to food tin containers where symptoms were nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. Excessive tin is swiftly excreted from organism and there are no long-term negative effects. Inorganic tin is much less toxic to human organism comparing to other elements like cobalt and copper.

In one research it was proven that tin can help with depression though the condition is usually associated with imbalance in levels of lithium, magnesium, copper, sodium, manganese and certain vitamins. Only in case where cause for depression doesn’t lie in low thyroid, low blood pressure, low adrenals and chemical imbalance, tin can relieve the condition.

Tin is ingredient of some toothpastes. It is added to asparagus for the taste and used as a remedy for stomach parasites.

Tin can be found in herbs like nettle, barberry, yarrow, licorice, senna, doggrass, juniper, milk thistle, valerian, lady slipper, althea, yellow dock, kelp, devils claw, pennyroyal, irish moss, blessed thistle, red clover, bilberry and dulse.

Tin is also available in all vegetables and fruits in small amounts. Plants absorb tin from the soil hence level of tin in them depend on quality of the soil.

Indium

Indium is an exciting new discovery that somehow has fallen “under the radar.” But there’s even a book about it – cleverly titled “Indium” – in with author Dr. Robert Lyons states, “”Let Indium turn back your biological clock. Researchers believe that Indium may help you look and feel years – even decades – younger.” He states that Indium users report a burst of youthful benefits including more energy, -enhanced senses of smell and taste, weight loss, more restorative and rejuvenating sleep, improvements in skin and hair tone and color, increased libido, and better moods.

Indium has been shown to have age-related benefits, including improving memory, increasing libido, keeping weight stable and regulating blood sugar levels. However, new research has found that indium helps improve the absorption of essential trace elements – such as copper, manganese, and chromium, copper and zinc – in the body, thereby allowing them to perform their functions more efficiently.

Dr. Henry Schroeder, author of “The Trace Elements and Man”, found in his early studies that Indium supplementation increased the utilization of trace elements by 142%.

How it Works

Indium appears to work via the hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal (HPA) feedback loop complex.
Your hypothalamus is the key to homeostasis and parasympathetic functions such as breathing, body temperature, food and water intake, and stimulation of the gastrointestinal tract.

Your pituitary controls growth hormone release, sexual glands and the function of your adrenal glands.
Your adrenal glands produce sterols such as adrenalin, epinephrine, and cortisol. These hormones down regulate the effects of inflammation as well as the perception of pain, fatigue, and mental alertness.

Balancing the feedback of your HPA complex synchronizes the function and production of at least thirty-one hormones. This synchronization produces a feeling of euphoria and well-being in most users.

One of the theories regarding the aging process is that it involves the decreased production of certain hormones as we get older. Indium appears to counteract this by balancing and synchronizing the HPA complex, the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands. These hormones control sleep, metabolism, body temperature, appetite, blood pressure, sex desire and many other body functions.

Indium stimulates hormonal production back to youthful levels by stimulating the HPA master hormone producers. These hormones then circulate throughout the body and help prevent and fight various aspects of the aging process – for example, supplies of growth hormone are boosted, which controls metabolism and affects bone density.

Indium also potentiates your thyroid gland and supports proper thyroid levels, more calories are burned and weight is normalized.

Fitness/Training Applications

Immediate increased energy and strength is one of most reported effects of Indium by sports and fitness users. Most of the benefits of Indium occur within 5-10 days of supplementation.
Within one week the regular exerciser, who normally stop exercising due to muscular pain and fatigue should be able to increase their workout by 10% before reaching the pain threshold as indium helps reduce the painful buildup of lactic acid by removing it more quickly from the tissues.

You will find an extended limit to the activity as it hastens the removal of the lactic acid build-up in muscle mass. This causes the pain of lactic acid build-up to take longer to accumulate.
In one very recent study with Indium conducted in Budapest, Hungary, 13 of 15 members of the National Kung Fu Championship Team demonstrated significantly increased their stamina after eight weeks of indium supplementation.

Anecdotally, a group of distance runners reported 30% increase in running distance for the same time in just two weeks, and a group of weight lifters recently reported increasing their bench press by 40% in 60 days.

It also appears to aid or enhance the master hormone function (the pituitary and hypothalamus glands in particular) in the system. These glands direct the function of 40 endocrine glands and help balance 31 hormones.

Indium Supplementation is Safe 
Indium is water-soluble and does not remain in your system. Even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined Indium is totally safe even at 20,000 times the recommended dosage.

Additional reported benefits of Indium include:

– increased endurance
– improved memory
– better sleep
– help with migraine headaches
– healthier blood sugar levels (with some diabetic patients reducing their insulin by 80 %)
– normalization of blood pressure (with high blood pressure going down and low blood pressure going up)
– reduction in incidence of lip and lung cancers
– improved hair growth
– lessened menopause symptoms
– alleviation of hypertension
– more youthful appearance
– elevated immunity activity
– reduced severity and duration of colds
– drop in prostate PSA levels (as much as 75%)
– increased libido in both men and women