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The Poisoned Chalice
Published in Alan Perkins, Life and Death Rays, 2021
Thallium is a heavy chemical element with the symbol ‘Tl’ and atomic number 81. There are 25 isotopes of thallium with atomic masses ranging from 184 to 210. The only stable isotopes of the metal are thallium-210 and thallium-205, the rest being radioactive. It is a soft, malleable, grey metal that is not found freely in nature. The name thallium comes from the Greek word thallos, which means green shoot or twig. This name was given to the metal as a result of the green flame it produced when heated in a flame test, as in William Crookes’ initial observations. When separated in a pure form, thallium resembles tin, but it becomes discoloured when exposed to air.
Thallium Imaging in the Evaluation of Breast Malignancies
Published in Raymond Taillefer, Iraj Khalkhali, Alan D. Waxman, Hans J. Biersack, Radionuclide Imaging of the Breast, 2021
Several methods of breast imaging have been suggested using Tl-201. A dose of 3 mCi of Tl-201 chloride is administered intravenously. Imaging may begin within minutes following injection, as Tl-201 is rapidly extracted by breast cancer following intravenous injection. Because of radiation considerations, the maximum dose of thallium used is 3 to 4 mCi.
Inhalation Toxicity of Metal Particles and Vapors
Published in Jacob Loke, Pathophysiology and Treatment of Inhalation Injuries, 2020
These metals rarely cause intoxication. Aluminum, the most common metal in the earth’s crust (8.13%) is virtually nontoxic, whereas indium and thallium exposure are rare because of limited usage. Thallium compounds are extremely toxic. Total production, however, is unlikely to exceed a few thousand tons per year.
Coronary microvascular dysfunction due to Chagas disease: where are we now?
Published in Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy, 2023
Denise Mayumi Tanaka, Marcus Vinícius Simões, José Antônio Marin-Neto
It is relevant to point out that the radiotracer used in these investigations was 201thallium, whose uptake and retention is influenced by the cardiomyocyte metabolism and the associated inflammatory process that is so active in most patients with CCC. Hence, a possible alternative explanation for the MPD encountered in such patients could be linked to the underlying inflammatory changes and not to the perfusion abnormality itself. Nevertheless, we also evaluated myocardial perfusion in those patients using 99mTc-labeled microspheres, a pure perfusion agent that is not dependent on the cardiomyocyte metabolism. In this study, all patients had recurrent chest pain without obstructive epicardial coronary disease, as discarded by angiography. Of the total sample, 55% of the patients had extensive MPD, corresponding to 39% of the left ventricular (LV) segments analyzed. Interestingly, only 40% of these segments with perfusion defects showed severe changes in LV wall motion, which could correspond to areas of myocardial fibrosis. The remaining 60% had normal or only slight wall motion impairment [19,48]. Figure 2 represents a CCC patient presenting an ischemic perfusion defect in the walls commonly affected in Chagas disease (apical and inferior-posterior LV segments) using 99mTcSestamibi myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.
Enhanced toxic thallium (I) removal from water using novel AgNPs/sawdust nanocomposite
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2021
Fatemeh Sabermahani, Zahra Ganjehkaviri
Thallium is more toxic for many biological systems even than mercury, lead, cadmium, and copper. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has set the action level for Thallium in water at 0.5 µg L−1 (Escudero et al.2013). Thallium exists in two oxidation states: Thallium (I) which is highly soluble in aqueous environments and likes alkali metals and Thallium (III) which is more stable forming complexes with chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, and carbonates (Busev and Tiptsova 1961; Ralph and Twiss 2002; Antón et al.2013). Tl(I) is more stable and due to its mobility and solubility is easily transported through the aqueous systems (Cvjetko et al.2010; Urík et al.2010; Zhang et al. 2010; Pan et al. 2014). Thus, removal of Thallium from the contaminated water is important.