Erbium is a chemical element in the lanthanide series, with symbol Er and atomic number 68
Contents
Uses
- A large variety of medical applications (i.e. dermatology, dentistry) utilize erbium ion’s 2940 nm emission, which is highly absorbed in water (absorption coefficient about 12000/cm). Such shallow tissue deposition of laser energy is necessary for laser surgery, and the efficient production of steam for laser enamel ablation in dentistry.
- Erbium is also used in yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) medical lasers for procedures involving skin resurfacing such as acne scars, mole removal tattoo removal and warts.
Benefits
- Erbium does not have a biological role, but erbium salts can stimulate metabolism. Humans consume 1 milligram of erbium a year on average. The highest concentration of erbium in humans is in the bones, but there is also erbium in the human kidneys and liver.
Cautions
- Erbium is considered to be moderately toxic.
Interactions
- N/A
Other names
Er68
References
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erbium#Applications
Chemicoolo, http://www.chemicool.com/elements/erbium.html
Image Source: By Erbium.jpg: Original uploader was Tomihahndorf at de.wikipediaderivative work: Materialscientist (talk) – Erbium.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7222073