Heavy metals

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  • Heavy Metals
definition
  • Those metals which have densities >5.0 Mg m-3. In soils these include the elements Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn.
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broader
Abstract from DBPedia
    Heavy metals are generally defined as metals with relatively high densities, atomic weights, or atomic numbers. The criteria used, and whether metalloids are included, vary depending on the author and context. In metallurgy, for example, a heavy metal may be defined on the basis of density, whereas in physics the distinguishing criterion might be atomic number, while a chemist would likely be more concerned with chemical behaviour. More specific definitions have been published, but none of these have been widely accepted. The definitions surveyed in this article encompass up to 96 out of the 118 known chemical elements; only mercury, lead and bismuth meet all of them. Despite this lack of agreement, the term (plural or singular) is widely used in science. A density of more than 5 g/cm3 is sometimes quoted as a commonly used criterion and is used in the body of this article. The earliest known metals—common metals such as iron, copper, and tin, and precious metals such as silver, gold, and platinum—are heavy metals. From 1809 onward, light metals, such as magnesium, aluminium, and titanium, were discovered, as well as less well-known heavy metals including gallium, thallium, and hafnium. Some heavy metals are either essential nutrients (typically iron, cobalt, and zinc), or relatively harmless (such as ruthenium, silver, and indium), but can be toxic in larger amounts or certain forms. Other heavy metals, such as cadmium, mercury, and lead, are highly poisonous. Potential sources of heavy metal poisoning include mining, tailings, industrial waste, agricultural runoff, occupational exposure, paints and treated timber. Physical and chemical characterisations of heavy metals need to be treated with caution, as the metals involved are not always consistently defined. As well as being relatively dense, heavy metals tend to be less reactive than lighter metals and have far fewer soluble sulfides and hydroxides. While it is relatively easy to distinguish a heavy metal such as tungsten from a lighter metal such as sodium, a few heavy metals, such as zinc, mercury, and lead, have some of the characteristics of lighter metals, and, lighter metals such as beryllium, scandium, and titanium, have some of the characteristics of heavier metals. Heavy metals are relatively scarce in the Earth's crust but are present in many aspects of modern life. They are used in, for example, golf clubs, cars, antiseptics, self-cleaning ovens, plastics, solar panels, mobile phones, and particle accelerators.

    重金属(じゅうきんぞく、英語:heavy metals)とは、比重が4以上の金属のことである。一般的には鉄以上の比重を持つ金属の総称。対語は軽金属。基本的には、アルカリ金属とアルカリ土類金属を除くほとんどの金属が重金属に該当する。銅や鉛のような製錬が技術的に容易な金属が重金属であったため、人類の歴史上、比較的早くから用いられた。 重金属という分類は比重のみによる分類のため、非常に雑多な化学的性質・物理的性質を持った金属の寄せ集めである。このため、工業的に大量生産・消費される金属や、レアメタルなど産業上重要な価値を持つ金属、生物に必須の金属や逆に毒性の強い金属など、その内容は非常に多様である。

    (Source: http://dbpedia.org/resource/Heavy_metals)