Editing Holmium (section)

==Biological role and precautions==

Holmium plays no [[composition of the human body|biological role in humans]], but its salts are able to stimulate [[metabolism]].<ref name="CRC">{{cite book| author = C. R. Hammond |title = The Elements, in Handbook of Chemistry and Physics |edition = 81st| publisher =CRC press| date = 2000| isbn = 0-8493-0481-4}}</ref> Humans typically consume about a milligram of holmium a year. Plants do not readily take up holmium from the soil. Some vegetables have had their holmium content measured, and it amounted to 100 parts per trillion.<ref name="emsley224">{{cite book|last=Emsley|first=John|title=Nature's Building Blocks|page=224|date=2011}}</ref> Holmium and its soluble salts are slightly toxic if ingested, but insoluble holmium salts are [[nontoxic]]. Metallic holmium in dust form presents a fire and explosion hazard.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Haley|first1= T. J.|last2=Koste|first2= L.|last3= Komesu|first3= N.|last4= Efros|first4= M.|last5= Upham|first5= H. C. |year=1966 |title=Pharmacology and toxicology of dysprosium, holmium, and erbium chlorides |journal=Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=37–43 |doi=10.1016/0041-008x(66)90098-6 |pmid=5921895|bibcode= 1966ToxAP...8...37H}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Haley, T. J. |year=1965 |title=Pharmacology and toxicology of the rare earth elements |journal=Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences |volume=54 |issue=5 |pages=663–70 |doi=10.1002/jps.2600540502 |pmid=5321124}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bruce|first1= D. W.|last2= Hietbrink|first2= B. E.|last3= Dubois|first3= K. P. |year=1963 |title=The acute mammalian toxicity of rare earth nitrates and oxides |journal=Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology |volume=5 |issue=6 |pages= 750–9|doi=10.1016/0041-008X(63)90067-X |pmid= 14082480|bibcode= 1963ToxAP...5..750B}}</ref> Large amounts of holmium salts can cause severe damage if [[inhaled]], consumed [[mouth|orally]], or [[injection (medicine)|injected]]. The biological effects of holmium over a long period of time are not known. Holmium has a low level of [[acute toxicity]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-04-15 |title=Holmium: Biological Action |url=http://nautilus.fis.uc.pt/st2.5/scenes-e/elem/e06740.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415162101/http://nautilus.fis.uc.pt/st2.5/scenes-e/elem/e06740.html |archive-date=2011-04-15 }}</ref>