Fluorine is a highly reactive and toxic gas, but is also a necessary trace element for organisms. It has various uses, including in dental products and nuclear bombs. Pure fluoride is dangerous, but fluoride compounds can be found in dental products and water supplies. Fluorine is the lightest halogen gas and was first isolated in 1886. It is used in smelting, etching, and medicine, but extreme caution should be used around it due to its toxicity. High intake of fluorides can be dangerous and fluoride-containing products should be kept away from children and pets.
Fluorine is an extremely reactive and highly toxic gaseous element. In very small quantities, it is also a trace element necessary for the health of most organisms, although the line between enough and too much is very thin. The element and various compounds have a number of uses, ranging from the construction of nuclear bombs to additives in dental products designed to promote oral health. Pure fluoride is not generally available, as it is extremely dangerous, but fluoride compounds known as fluorides can be found in dental products and municipal water supplies, among other places.
The atomic number of fluorine is nine and the element belongs to the halogen group. It is the lightest of the halogen gases and the most reactive element found in nature, due to its electronegative configuration. In the periodic table of elements, fluorine is identified with the symbol F. The element was first isolated in 1886, with great danger for the scientists who did it.
Pure fluorine is a pale yellow, highly corrosive and poisonous gas. It presumably has a very pungent odour, although as inhaling the gas is extremely dangerous this is difficult to verify. It is essentially impossible to find pure fluorine in nature, as the highly reactive element bonds easily with any element it is exposed to. It can also trigger extremely explosive reactions which will continue until all the fluoride has been used up.
Compounds of the element have historically been used as a fluxing agent, designed to fluidize metal and slag during the smelting process. Fluorine is also a component of hydrofluoric acid, a compound used in etching, and the gas has some medical uses as well. Dentists use sodium fluoride to help their patients establish strong, healthy teeth, and the gas compounds are also used in anesthetics such as isoflurane. The element is also used in some antibiotics. In trace amounts for medical use, fluoride is combined with other elements so that it is non-reactive and safe.
Extreme caution should be used around pure fluorine and some fluorine compounds, due to their high toxicity. The item is extremely dangerous to inhale or touch and contact with skin or eyes should be carefully avoided. Even a high intake of fluorides can be dangerous, leading to severe damage to bones and teeth, as well as corrosion of the intestinal tract. Fluoride-containing products, such as fluoroquinolone antibiotics and fluoride-based insecticides, should be kept away from children and pets.
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