Heavy metal: a misused term?

Olivier Pourret; Jean-Claude Bollinger; Andrew Hursthouse

doi:10.1007/s11631-021-00468-0

Heavy metal: a misused term?

Olivier Pourret^*, Jean-Claude Bollinger, Andrew Hursthouse

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

42 Citations (Scopus)

57 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The use of the term “heavy metal” is regularly questioned by the scientific community. Here, we followed the evolution (1970-2020) in the number of published papers including this term in their title. Thus, we can evidence a continuous, albeit sometimes stabilizing, increase especially in environmental journals. After several other warning opinions, we propose that it should be replaced in the scientific literature by terms like “metal”, “metalloid”, “trace metal elements” or “potentially toxic element”.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	466-471
Number of pages	6
Journal	Acta Geochimica
Volume	40
Early online date	25 Mar 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-021-00468-0
Publication status	Published - 30 Jun 2021

Keywords

heavy metals
trace metal elements
metal
metalloid
potentially toxic elements

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/s11631-021-00468-0

2021 03 10 Pourret et al Heavy acceptedAccepted author manuscript, 662 KB

Cite this

@article{854a3c89e9f24f59b3ce61bc10e473f9,

title = "Heavy metal: a misused term?",

abstract = "The use of the term “heavy metal” is regularly questioned by the scientific community. Here, we followed the evolution (1970-2020) in the number of published papers including this term in their title. Thus, we can evidence a continuous, albeit sometimes stabilizing, increase especially in environmental journals. After several other warning opinions, we propose that it should be replaced in the scientific literature by terms like “metal”, “metalloid”, “trace metal elements” or “potentially toxic element”.",

keywords = "heavy metals, trace metal elements, metal, metalloid, potentially toxic elements",

author = "Olivier Pourret and Jean-Claude Bollinger and Andrew Hursthouse",

year = "2021",

month = jun,

day = "30",

doi = "10.1007/s11631-021-00468-0",

language = "English",

volume = "40",

pages = "466--471",

journal = "Acta Geochimica",

issn = "2096-0956",

publisher = "Science China Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Heavy metal

T2 - a misused term?

AU - Pourret, Olivier

AU - Bollinger, Jean-Claude

AU - Hursthouse, Andrew

PY - 2021/6/30

Y1 - 2021/6/30

N2 - The use of the term “heavy metal” is regularly questioned by the scientific community. Here, we followed the evolution (1970-2020) in the number of published papers including this term in their title. Thus, we can evidence a continuous, albeit sometimes stabilizing, increase especially in environmental journals. After several other warning opinions, we propose that it should be replaced in the scientific literature by terms like “metal”, “metalloid”, “trace metal elements” or “potentially toxic element”.

AB - The use of the term “heavy metal” is regularly questioned by the scientific community. Here, we followed the evolution (1970-2020) in the number of published papers including this term in their title. Thus, we can evidence a continuous, albeit sometimes stabilizing, increase especially in environmental journals. After several other warning opinions, we propose that it should be replaced in the scientific literature by terms like “metal”, “metalloid”, “trace metal elements” or “potentially toxic element”.

KW - heavy metals

KW - trace metal elements

KW - metal

KW - metalloid

KW - potentially toxic elements

U2 - 10.1007/s11631-021-00468-0

DO - 10.1007/s11631-021-00468-0

M3 - Letter

SN - 2096-0956

VL - 40

SP - 466

EP - 471

JO - Acta Geochimica

JF - Acta Geochimica

ER -

Heavy metal: a misused term?

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this