Editing Thallium (section)

==Toxicity==
{{main|Thallium poisoning}}
{{Chembox
| container_only = yes
|Section7={{Chembox Hazards
| ExternalSDS =
| GHSPictograms = {{GHS06}}{{GHS08}}{{gHS environment}}
| GHSSignalWord = Danger
| HPhrases = {{H-phrases|300|330|373|413}}
| PPhrases = {{P-phrases|260|264|284|301|310}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/277932?lang=en&region=US|title=Thallium 277932|website=Sigma-Aldrich|access-date=2018-10-02|archive-date=2018-10-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002064744/https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/277932?lang=en&region=US|url-status=live}}</ref>
| NFPA-H = 4
| NFPA-F = 0
| NFPA-R = 2
| NFPA-S = 
| NFPA_ref = 
 }}
}}
Thallium and its compounds are extremely toxic, with numerous recorded cases of fatal thallium poisoning.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-02-13|title=A 15-year-old case yields a timely clue in deadly thallium poisoning|url=https://www.nj.com/news/2011/02/thallium_is_favored_method_of.html|access-date=2023-02-12|website=nj|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/12/new-study-establishes-timeline-for-famous-thallium-poisoning-cold-case/|author=Jennifer Ouellette|title=Study brings us one step closer to solving 1994 thallium poisoning case|date=25 December 2018|work=Ars Technica|access-date=26 December 2018|archive-date=26 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226001509/https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/12/new-study-establishes-timeline-for-famous-thallium-poisoning-cold-case/|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Occupational Safety and Health Administration]] (OSHA) has set the legal limit ([[permissible exposure limit]]) for thallium exposure in the workplace as 0.1&nbsp;mg/m<sup>2</sup> skin exposure over an eight-hour workday. The [[National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health]] (NIOSH) also set a [[recommended exposure limit]] (REL) of 0.1&nbsp;mg/m<sup>2</sup> skin exposure over an eight-hour workday. At levels of 15&nbsp;mg/m<sup>2</sup>, thallium is [[IDLH|immediately dangerous to life and health]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = CDC – NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards – Thallium (soluble compounds, as Tl)|url = https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0608.html|website = www.cdc.gov|access-date = 2015-11-24|archive-date = 2015-09-24|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924140704/http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0608.html|url-status = live}}</ref>

Contact with skin is dangerous, and adequate ventilation is necessary when melting this metal. Thallium(I) compounds have a high aqueous solubility and are readily absorbed through the skin, and care should be taken to avoid this route of exposure, as [[cutaneous]] absorption can exceed the absorbed dose received by inhalation at the [[permissible exposure limit]] (PEL).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Surface Contamination – Overview &#124; Occupational Safety and Health Administration |url=https://www.osha.gov/surface-contamination |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=www.osha.gov}}</ref> Exposure by inhalation cannot safely exceed 0.1&nbsp;mg/m<sup>2</sup> in an eight-hour time-weighted average (40-hour work week).<ref>[https://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_271500.html Chemical Sampling Information | Thallium, soluble compounds (as Tl)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322030241/https://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_271500.html |date=2014-03-22 }}. Osha.gov. Retrieved on 2013-09-05.</ref> The [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) states, "Thallium is not classifiable as a carcinogen, and it is not suspected to be a carcinogen. It is unknown whether chronic or repeated exposure to thallium increases the risk of reproductive toxicity or developmental toxicity. Chronic high level exposure to thallium through inhalation has been reported to cause nervous system effects, such as numbness of fingers and toes."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750026.html|title=CDC – The Emergency Response Safety and Health Database: Systemic Agent: THALLIUM – NIOSH|website=www.cdc.gov|access-date=2019-12-11|archive-date=2019-11-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115160632/https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750026.html|url-status=live}}</ref> For a long time, thallium compounds were readily available as rat poison. This, and that it is water-soluble and nearly tasteless, led to frequent intoxication caused by accident or criminal intent.<ref name="Murder" />

One of the main methods of removing thallium, both radioactive and stable, from humans is to use [[Prussian blue]], a material which absorbs thallium.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yang |first1=Yongsheng |last2=Faustino |first2=Patrick J. |last3=Progar |first3=Joseph J. |last4=Brownell |first4=Charles R. |last5=Sadrieh |first5=Nakissa |last6=May |first6=Joan C. |last7=Leutzinger |first7=Eldon |last8=Place |first8=David A. |last9=Duffy |first9=Eric P. |last10=Yu |first10=Lawrence X. |last11=Khan |first11=Mansoor A. |last12=Lyon |first12=Robbe C. |title=Quantitative determination of thallium binding to ferric hexacyanoferrate: Prussian blue |date=2008 |journal=International Journal of Pharmaceutics |volume=353 |issue=1–2 |pages=187–194 |doi=10.1016/j.ijpharm.2007.11.031 |pmid=18226478 |display-authors=3 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1259065 |access-date=2019-07-01 |archive-date=2020-03-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200315120441/https://zenodo.org/record/1259065 |url-status=live }}</ref> Up to 20&nbsp;grams per day of Prussian blue is fed by mouth to the patient, and it passes through the patient’s digestive system and comes out in the patient’s stool. [[Hemodialysis]] and [[hemoperfusion]] are also used to remove thallium from the blood serum. At later stages of the treatment, additional potassium is used to mobilize thallium from the tissues.<ref>[http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/prussianblue.asp Prussian blue fact sheet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020123050/http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/prussianblue.asp |date=2013-10-20 }}. US [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]].</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last = Malbrain |first = Manu L. N. G. |author2 = Lambrecht, Guy L. Y. |author3 = Zandijk, Erik |author4 = Demedts, Paul A. |author5 = Neels, Hugo M. |author6 = Lambert, Willy |author7 = De Leenheer, André P. |author8 = Lins, Robert L. |author9 = Daelemans, Ronny |date = 1997 |title = Treatment of Severe Thallium Intoxication |journal = Clinical Toxicology |volume = 35 |issue = 1 |pages = 97–100 |doi = 10.3109/15563659709001173 |pmid = 9022660}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA), artificially-made sources of thallium pollution include gaseous emission of [[Cement#Heavy metal emissions in the air|cement factories]], coal-burning power plants, and metal sewers. The main source of elevated thallium concentrations in water is the leaching of thallium from ore processing operations.<ref name="Vira" /><ref>{{cite web |date=2014 |title=Technical Factsheet on: Thallium |url=https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=P1014ZVR.txt |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=[[US Environmental Protection Agency]] |publisher=}}</ref>