Persistence: Very stable; long-term soil contaminant.

Health Impact: Low acute toxicity; dust inhalation may cause lung irritation.

Persistence: Indefinite as lanthanum salts/oxides.

Health Impact: Low oral toxicity; can accumulate in bones if chronically ingested.

Persistence: Permanent as silica/silicates; part of soil minerals.

Health Impact: Generally inert; inhaling fine silica dust can cause silicosis (lung fibrosis).

Persistence: Indefinite as inorganic tin oxides.

Health Impact: Inorganic tin is low toxicity; organotin compounds (e.g. TBT) are neurotoxic and endocrine-disrupting.

Persistence: Indefinite — binds to soil organic matter.

Health Impact: Gastrointestinal irritation at high doses; long-term exposure can cause liver/kidney damage.

Persistence: Essentially permanent; inert in soil.

Health Impact: Pure gold is mostly non-toxic; some gold salts cause skin irritation or allergy.

Persistence: Very stable as salts and oxides.

Health Impact: Low toxicity generally; high exposures can irritate lungs and kidneys.

Persistence: Hundreds of years; can cycle between inorganic/organic forms.

Health Impact: Skin lesions, cancers (skin, lung, bladder), cardiovascular and developmental effects.

Persistence: Very long — behaves like other metals.

Health Impact: Poorly studied; indium compounds may cause lung and kidney toxicity.

Persistence: Indefinite as oxides/hydroxides; common in soils.

Health Impact: Generally low toxicity orally; excessive exposure can affect bones and nervous system.

Persistence: Hundreds of years; stable as oxides/sulfides.

Health Impact: Contact dermatitis, respiratory cancer (inhaled dust), allergenic.

Persistence: Hundreds of years; bioavailable as cobalt ions.

Health Impact: Heart, thyroid, and lung effects at high exposures; skin sensitizer.

Persistence: Hundreds to thousands of years; not biodegradable.

Health Impact: Kidney damage, bone demineralization, carcinogenic to humans.

Persistence: Centuries; can cycle as elemental, inorganic, and methylmercury.

Health Impact: Neurological and developmental damage, kidney damage; methylmercury bioaccumulates in food chains.

Persistence: Hundreds to thousands of years; stays bound to soil particles.

Health Impact: Neurotoxic (especially in children), kidney damage, anemia, developmental delays, IQ loss.

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Persistence: Indefinite as part of soil minerals; very common.

Health Impact: Essential nutrient; rarely harmful except at very high doses (laxative, CNS depression).

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Persistence: Mobile as bromide; can leach, persist for decades in soil.

Health Impact: Irritation of skin and mucosa; high exposures may cause neurotoxic and endocrine effects.

Persistence: Essentially indefinite in soil — doesn’t degrade biologically.

Health Impact: Generally low toxicity at environmental levels, but very high doses can cause nervous system, kidney, and thyroid effects.