Transuranium and heavy metal ions

Transuranium metal ions (e.g., plutonium, americium, curium) and other heavy metal ions (e.g., lead, mercury, arsenic) are exogenous toxic substances that pose significant health risks through environmental exposure or radiological accidents (StatPearls, 2023). These ions do not have a physiological role but instead exert toxicity by mimicking essential minerals, binding to functional groups of proteins (like sulfhydryl groups), and inducing oxidative stress (PubMed, PMC4427717). Transuranic elements are particularly hazardous due to their long biological half-lives and alpha-particle emission, which can lead to internal radiation damage and bone-seeking behavior (CDC, 2018). Therapeutic intervention involves the use of chelating agents, which are drugs designed to sequester these ions into stable, non-toxic complexes for renal or fecal excretion (FDA, 2004). Effective chelation therapy is critical for reducing the body burden of these metals and preventing long-term complications such as organ failure, neurological deficits, and carcinogenesis (NIH, 2022).

Other names

ActinidesRadionuclidesToxic metal ionsHeavy metalsTransuranic elements

Chelation therapy: the drugs act as polydentate ligands that form stable, ring-structured coordination complexes with the metal ions, rendering them chemically inert and facilitating their excretion via the kidneys or bile (StatPearls, 2023).