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PET scan using fluorine-18. Fluorine may interact with biological systems in the form of fluorine-containing compounds. Though elemental fluorine (F 2) is very rare in everyday life, fluorine-containing compounds such as fluorite occur naturally as minerals. Naturally occurring organofluorine compounds are extremely rare. Man-made fluoride ...
Fluorine is a chemical element; it has symbol F and atomic number 9. It is the lightest halogen [note 1] and exists at standard conditions as pale yellow diatomic gas. Fluorine is extremely reactive as it reacts with all other elements except for the light inert gases. It is highly toxic.
The fluorine–fluorine bond of the difluorine molecule is relatively weak when compared to the bonds of heavier dihalogen molecules. The bond energy is significantly weaker than those of Cl 2 or Br 2 molecules and similar to the easily cleaved oxygen–oxygen bonds of peroxides or nitrogen–nitrogen bonds of hydrazines. [8]
At 400 ppb, fluorine is estimated to be the 24th most common element in the universe. It is comparably rare for a light element (elements tend to be more common the lighter they are). All of the elements from atomic number 6 (carbon) to atomic number 12 (magnesium) are hundreds or thousands of times more common than fluorine except for 11 (sodium).
Fluorine, in the form of fluoride, is considered to be a micronutrient for human health, necessary to prevent dental cavities, and to promote healthy bone growth. [28] The tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) is a known accumulator of fluorine compounds, released upon forming infusions such as the common beverage. The fluorine compounds decompose ...
Fluorine is the thirteenth most abundant element on Earth and the 24th most abundant element in the universe. It is the most electronegative element and it is highly reactive. Thus, it is rarely found in its elemental state, although elemental fluorine has been identified in certain geochemical contexts. [3]
Roholm conducted laboratory studies, interviewed cryolite workers, visited factories, and documented the progression of fluorine poisoning in humans and animals from gastrointestinal upsets, neurological disorders, and bleeding gums to the advanced cases of skeletal fluorosis and crippling arthritis.
One study has indicated bromine to be necessary to collagen IV synthesis in humans. [3] Fluorine is used by a number of plants to manufacture toxins but in humans its only known function is as a local topical hardening agent in tooth enamel. [4]