Editing Technetium (section)

==Precautions and biological effect==
Technetium plays no natural biological role and is not normally found in the human body.{{sfn|Hammond|2004|p={{page needed|date=June 2021}}}} Technetium is produced in quantity by nuclear fission, and spreads more readily than many radionuclides. It appears to have low chemical toxicity. For example, no significant change in blood formula, body and organ weights, and food consumption could be detected for rats which ingested up to 15&nbsp;μg of technetium-99 per gram of food for several weeks.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QLHr-UYWoo8C&pg=PA392|pages=392–395|title=Technetium in the environment|author=Desmet, G.|author2=Myttenaere, C.|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-0-85334-421-6|date=1986}}</ref> In the body, technetium quickly gets converted to the stable {{chem|TcO|4|-}} ion, which is highly water-soluble and quickly excreted. The radiological toxicity of technetium (per unit of mass) is a function of compound, type of radiation for the isotope in question, and the isotope's half-life.{{sfn|Schwochau|2000|pp=371–381}}

All isotopes of technetium must be handled carefully. The most common isotope, technetium-99, is a weak beta emitter; such radiation is stopped by the walls of laboratory glassware. <!-- NEEDS CITE Soft [[X-ray]]s are emitted when the beta particles are stopped, but as long as the body is kept more than {{convert|30|cm|0|abbr=on}} away these should pose no problem. /NEEDS CITE --> The primary hazard when working with technetium is inhalation of dust; such [[radioactive contamination]] in the lungs can pose a significant cancer risk. For most work, careful handling in a [[fume hood]] is sufficient, and a [[glove box]] is not needed.{{sfn|Schwochau|2000|p=40}}

Being close to noble metals, technetium is not very susceptible to corrosion, and during biofouling, its ability to self-cleanse has been recorded due to its radiotoxic effect on biota.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Popova |first1=Nadezhda M. |last2=Volkov |first2=Mikhail A. |last3=Safonov |first3=Alexey V. |last4=Panfilov |first4=Oleg E. |last5=German |first5=Konstantin E. |date=2024-11-25 |title=Long term durability of Tc-bulk and Tc-coatings in various environmental conditions |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08927014.2024.2413633 |journal=Biofouling |volume=40 |issue=10 |pages=785–800 |doi=10.1080/08927014.2024.2413633 |issn=0892-7014 |pmid=39477809|bibcode=2024Biofo..40..785P }}</ref>