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The Deadliest Element On The Periodic Table
It occurs naturally and has the power to kill millions
The Periodic Table of Elements contains 118 distinct elements that can be naturally found in nature. Some of these elements are famous and foundational. The periodic table is filled with the very essence of life. We would not be here without elements such as hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. While these elements are the building blocks of our existence, many of the others are harmful to life. No one wants to splash around in a pool of mercury, for example, or ingest too much lead. Lithium, while great for batteries, is highly explosive and radon has long been a thorn in the side of builders and homeowners due to its dangerous potential.
But which element is the deadliest? Which element is the most dangerous? If you ask ten people this question, you might get ten different answers. However, there is one element that seems to stand above the rest in terms of lethality. Polonium.
If you are scratching your head about this element, you are not alone. This is one of the most obscure elements on the periodic table, and it has very few uses for humans other than in extremely specialized nuclear and radio applications. Only highly trained individuals working in secret or sensitive industries will ever come in contact with polonium. That is a good thing because if you come into contact with polonium, it will surely kill you.
Polonium is a radioactive heavy metal that is incredibly toxic. In fact, some physicists will say that polonium is the most toxic material ever discovered. It was found by Marie Curie in the late 19th century who then named it after her native Poland.
Polonium is highly radioactive and severely toxic. Polonium is estimated to be over 10,000 times as toxic as cyanide. If this one element was distilled into a visible amount, a single gram could kill up to 50 million people. A single gram. One microgram (0.000001 grams) of polonium is enough to kill an adult.
The incredible toxicity makes polonium a potent tool for assassins. In 2006, the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko was suspected of being poisoned by polonium. He did not survive. Thankfully, it is extremely difficult to find or distill this element into a usable form…
