Discovery Information
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Who: Sir William Crookes |
When: 1861 |
Where: England |
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Name Origin
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Greek: thallos (young shoot) from a bright-green line in its spectrum. |
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Sources
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Found in iron pyrites. Also in the minerals crookesite, hutchinsonite and lorandite. It is found in the Earth's crust at a
concentration estimated to be 0.6mg/kg.
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Uses
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Its compounds were used in rat and ant poisons, but this use is no longer allowed in many countries due to safety concerns.
Also for in gamma radiation detecting equipment, detecting infrared radiation and heart muscle research.
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Notes
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This metal is very soft and malleable and can be cut with a knife. |
Thallium and its compounds are highly toxic and should be handled with great care. Thallium is a suspected human carcinogen.
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Thallium was once an effective murder weapon before its effects became understood and an antidote (prussian blue) discovered. |