Estes são os ELEMENTOS QUIMICOS mais PERIGOSOS! E muitos deles estão no nosso dia a dia

What are the 10 most dangerous elements? And believe me, some are very close to us Hey Lovers of Engineering, a series that the public always follows here on the channel is about chemical elements. We have some videos with a lot of engagement where we talk about Gold, Silver, Uranium and their uses in engineering. And a question we receive quite frequently is “what is the most dangerous element?” Well, today I’m going to bring you 10 most dangerous elements and show you that sometimes we are working with these elements without even knowing it. Let’s start this video with a little history. Marie Curie was the first woman to receive science’s highest honor, a Nobel Prize, but her work also earned her an early death. She and her husband Pierre spent years carefully grinding radioactive rocks and soaking this ground powder in acid. In 1898, they discovered the new element polonium, and a few months later, Marie would also discover radium. But the Curies didn’t know how risky their work was, because scientists had discovered radioactivity just a few years earlier. And even though she now knows that radioactivity is actually quite dangerous, what she perhaps didn’t expect was that polonium could be one of the most radioactive elements. The danger comes from the building blocks that form the atomic structures of the elements. At the center of each atom is its nucleus. In radioactive elements, the nucleus ruptures, releasing particles that can harm people. Furthermore, a cloud of electrons surrounds the nucleus of each atom. The number of electrons an atom has and the way the nucleus is constructed make all elements behave differently. Some dangers arise because the elements are toxic or poisonous. Most of the time, these poisons work because two different elements are similar. We need many essential elements to live, feeding the biological machines in our cells in the human body, so we end up ingesting different elements to survive. But consuming elements that imitate essential ones prevents biological machines from functioning and that is where the problem comes in. Other dangers come from the reactivity of the elements. This usually happens when elements strongly donate electrons to other atoms or withdraw them. If the chemical reactions this causes are violent enough, they turn into fires or explosions. For example, the reactivity of chlorine makes it poisonous to us and that of sodium makes it explosive in contact with water. But together they produce sodium chloride, which is so safe that we eat it like table salt. And when atoms group together into molecules like nitroglycerin, these properties can be even more complex. But why would anyone want to understand these dangerous chemicals? Understanding how these elements react helps prevent people from getting hurt, and even develop structures and use other elements to protect people from the actions of these elements. But then, what would be the most dangerous elements? In tenth place, we have Hydrogen (H) and the reason is because it is highly flammable. If a fifth of the air we breathe were not made up of oxygen, hydrogen might even be relatively safe. But hydrogen and oxygen react quickly, burning together to form water, and that puts it at the top of our list. It is even used as fuel in space travel, where its power is greatly exploited. In ninth place on our list, we have cesium, which is explosive and flammable. If you encounter cesium, it’s best to be very careful. Metallic cesium, when in contact with air, bursts into flame, and when placed in water, it explodes violently. It is also considered toxic to humans, but when used properly, it can be used in medicine and even in food sterilization. In eighth place, we have chromium, which is highly carcinogenic. That stainless steel that we like so much and find beautiful when we look at it carries an element so that it can be stainless, which is exactly chrome. The chromium metal that reacts with air is stable and shiny, So it is used in automotive parts, kitchen utensils and various other items, and it is safe to use. But the removal of six electrons from a metallic chromium atom, what we call hexavalent chromium, produces cancer-causing substances when inhaled, and then it becomes something not very cool. Seventhly, there is cadmium, which is also a poison. It is a heavy metal, and it can interfere with the way calcium forms the bones in our body. Cadmium can also imitate zinc, which we need to live, but without its benefits. Its prolonged and chronic exposure can be associated with lung cancer and emphysema, and just as you saw in the video we made about cadmium, it can be found in some types of pesticides and consequently in our elements. In sixth place is thallium, which is also a poison. Thallium is physically similar to another element, potassium, which keeps us alive. But thallium doesn’t behave exactly the same way, so it confuses our cells and stops them from functioning normally. It is also considered one of the most lethal chemical elements in the world along with other elements. For those who have used poison for rats and ants in the past, you know that it was extremely used, but today, many countries have banned the use of thallium for this type of function. In fifth place, we have lead, which is also a toxic element. Lead used to be very common in paint and even gasoline. However, we now know that it causes brain and kidney damage and today it is used with much more caution. Today it is used in the production of batteries, shields and even protective plates in PPE in radioactive imaging exams. However, it is a toxic element, and when inhaled or ingested, it can cause neurobehavioral and kidney changes and in more serious cases, it can lead to death. Fourthly, we have arsenic, which is a poison. The well-known poison arsenic also confuses our cells. This is because its properties are similar to those of the essential element phosphorus, which is just above it on the periodic table. Centuries ago, it was used as a medicine in many types of therapies, until it was replaced by sulfamides and antibiotics, thank goodness, right? It is related to an increased risk of skin, lung, bladder and even kidney cancer, and it is a famous poison, and along with thallium, it is also considered one of the most lethal chemical elements in the world. Thirdly, fluorine, which is a corrosive material. The atomic structure of fluorine makes it want to receive electrons from other atoms, making it extremely reactive. It can corrode, degrade or modify almost anything, making it very toxic and corrosive. In small doses, it is beneficial for humans, especially for oral health, and it can help prevent cavities, but if taken in excess, it can cause fluorosis and even other types of diseases. Secondly, antimony, which is a poison. Antimony is below arsenic on the periodic table and the two elements have similar poisoning effects. This is because they both behave like phosphorus, and what it does is damage people’s livers and make them vomit. And in tenth place, we have Plutonium (Pu), which is a Radioactive material. The atomic structure of plutonium has already been widely used as fuel in nuclear reactors and also in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Its decay process produces alpha, beta particles and gamma rays and over several years, many workers who handled plutonium developed lung, liver and even bone cancer. I could mention other elements in this list, such as cyanide, dimethyl mercury, chlorine trifluoride and even hydrofluoric acid, but these are elements that we don’t have much contact with in our daily lives. You could even say that I included plutonium on the list, but that’s because with the accidents we’ve had at certain nuclear plants out there, used plutonium still causes damage to this day. Just take a trip to Chernobyl and touch anything on the ground to take as a souvenir to see the damage it will cause. This list does not have an order of which is most dangerous, but it shows that yes, we have elements that we can deal with in our daily lives that can be dangerous for us. If you’ve come this far and liked the video, take the opportunity to subscribe. If you’re not already subscribed, leave your like and turn on the notification bell. If you find our content interesting, consider becoming a member to help us continue producing content here at platform and be remembered in our videos. And if you are looking for professional growth, I will leave a link below where you will find several opportunities to develop various skills that will make a difference in both your personal and professional life. So, were you surprised by any of these elements? Have you ever handled any of them? Leave it here in the comments and I want to know. Here you have two video options that you might like and that are worth checking out to expand your knowledge. And if you want to contribute to us, leave your like, subscribe to the channel, activate the bell and consider becoming a member of the channel. And that’s it engineering lovers, a big hug and I’ll see you in the next video