Abstract
A heavy metal is defined as such mainly on the basis of its specific weight, but the application of the term “heavy metal” to an element often leads to an expectation that it is toxic. Therefore, it does not seem sensible not to use the term any longer. However, in plant science, this term is so widely used that it would be very difficult to eliminate it. Instead, we suggest that it would be better to define an element as a “heavy metal” on the basis of the periodic table of the elements. “Heavy metals” would then refer to (1) transition elements; (2) rare earth elements, which can be subdivided into the lanthanides and the actinides, including La and Ac themselves; (3) a heterogeneous group including the metal Bi, the elements that form amphoteric oxides (Al, Ga, In, Tl, Sn, Pb, Sb and Po), and the metalloids Ge, As and Te. We suggest using the term “lead group”, as Pb is the most prominent representative of this third group of “heavy metals” encountered in plant science.
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Acknowledgement
I thank Dr. Trevor Fenning, Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Midlothian, UK, for his support.
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Appenroth, KJ. (2010). Definition of “Heavy Metals” and Their Role in Biological Systems. In: Soil Heavy Metals. Soil Biology, vol 19. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02436-8_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02436-8_2
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