Quoted:
Are their any heavy metal oxides that are considerably less toxic than the non-oxide form?

Been researching for about an hour... But I figure there's a chemist here somewhere.

TR85.

Quoted:







In GD at 0630 on Sunday?

Quoted:
Are their any heavy metal oxides that are considerably less toxic than the non-oxide form?
Been researching for about an hour... But I figure there's a chemist here somewhere.
TR85.

Quoted:

Metals that are in an elemental state (i.e. non-oxidized, whether oxide or not) are not appreciably soluble, and so not really very toxic.
For instance, eat a penny (the old pure copper kind) won't hurt you. However, that amount of copper (II) sulfate (same number of moles of copper) might cause some distress.
The fear of things like lead and what-not are almost always from the oxidized form of the metal. Elemental lead, probably the biggest fear would be that a portion would be oxidized to lead (II) in the stomach, else it would pass like a penny. Mercury is a bit different, but even there the organic form is hugely more toxic than the metallic form.

If we are not restricted to heavy metals, then yes. Sodium and Potassium are not MUCH more toxic in the metallic from than oxides, calcium as well.
If you put elemental sodium, potassium, or even calcium in you mouth, your tongue would dissolve and fire (hydrogen gas, ignited by the exothermic reaction) would shoot out of your mouth before you dropped dead. Any of those in oxide form, probably not much (in small amounts).

There may however, be some weird heavy metal that is more toxic in metallic form that I do not know about. I am not an inorganic chemist, the above is just in general.