Abstract
Thallium is a rare but widely dispersed element. All forms of thallium are soluble enough to be toxic to living organisms. Thallium is more toxic to humans than mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, or zinc and has been responsible for many accidental, occupational, deliberate, and therapeutic poisonings since its discovery in 1861. Its chemical behavior resembles the heavy metals (lead, gold, and silver) on the one hand and the alkali metals (K, Rb, and Cs) on the other. It occurs almost exclusively in natural waters as monovalent thallous cation. The solubility of thallous compounds is relatively high so that monovalent thallium is readily transported through aqueous routes into the environment. Thallium can be transferred from soils to crops readily and accrues in food crops. The fascinating chemistry and high toxicity potential make thallium and its compounds of particular scientific interest and environmental concern. Exposure to high levels of thallium can result in harmful health effects. Thallium is detected in base-metal mining effluents. Conventional technologies for removal of heavy metals are not effective in thallium removal. A few treatment options effective in thallium removal are presented.
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