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Neptunium is a rare, silvery, highly reactive, and radioactive metallic element with atomic number 93. It is produced artificially and poses health risks. It was discovered in 1940 and named after the planet Neptune. Neptunium is a transuranic element and is restricted in some regions due to its potential use in nuclear weapons.
Neptunium is a metallic chemical element classified among the actinide elements of the periodic table. It is extremely rare in nature, occurring only in trace amounts in uranium-bearing minerals. All of the neptunium used in research is produced artificially, through neutron bombardment of elements such as uranium. Because this element is radioactive and could potentially be used to create nuclear weapons, access to it is restricted in some regions of the world.
When isolated, neptunium is silvery in color and highly reactive, combining with other elements to form an assortment of compounds, such as other elements in the actinide series. It is also naturally radioactive, as are its isotopes. The element is also highly ductile. It is identified with the atomic number 93, which makes it the first of the transuranic elements, and its symbol is Np.
Transuranic elements are elements with an atomic number higher than that of uranium. These elements are all radioactive, with extremely short half-lives making them rare or non-existent in nature, although traces of their presence can be detected. These elements must be created synthetically for scientific study and are extremely unstable, making them difficult to research.
Credit for the discovery of neptunium is generally attributed to Edwin McMillan and Philip Abelson, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. They discovered the element in 1940 and named it for the planet Neptune, as it followed uranium in the periodic table, and uranium had been named for the planet Uranus. The next element in this series, plutonium, follows this naming scheme.
Since this element is radioactive, it poses health risks, as exposure to or ingestion of this element could cause radiation damage ranging from mild illness to death, depending on exposure. However, because this element is so rare, average individuals are unlikely to encounter it, and people who deal with neptunium deal with it in such small quantities that the risk is low enough. Scientists working with radioactive elements observe basic safety precautions when handling them and limit access to elements that could be used in high-yield nuclear weapons for reasons of national security.
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