Yttrium is a chemical element with symbol Y and atomic number 39. It is a silvery-metallic transition metal chemically similar to the lanthanides and has often been classified as a “rare earth element”.
Contents
Uses
- Yttria is used as a sintering additive in the production of porous silicon nitride. It is used as a common starting material for material science and for producing other compounds of yttrium.
- Yttrium compounds are used as a catalyst for ethylene polymerization. As a metal, yttrium is used on the electrodes of some high-performance spark plugs. Yttrium is used in gas mantles for propane lanterns as a replacement for thorium, which is radioactive.
- Currently under development is yttrium-stabilized zirconia as a solid electrolyte and as an oxygen sensor in automobile exhaust systems
Benefits
- The radioactive isotope yttrium-90 is used in drugs such as Yttrium Y 90-DOTA-tyr3-octreotide and Yttrium Y 90 ibritumomab tiuxetan for the treatment of various cancers, including lymphoma, leukemia, liver, ovarian, colorectal, pancreatic and bone cancers. It works by adhering to monoclonal antibodies, which in turn bind to cancer cells and kill them via intense β-radiation from the yttrium-90 (see Monoclonal antibody therapy).
- A technique called radioembolization is used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastasis. Radioembolization is a low toxicity, targeted liver cancer therapy that uses millions of tiny beads made of glass or resin containing radioactive yttrium-90. The radioactive microspheres are delivered directly to the blood vessels feeding specific liver tumors/segments or lobes. It is minimally invasive and patients can usually be discharged after a few hours. This procedure may not eliminate all tumors throughout the entire liver, but works on one segment or one lobe at a time and may require multiple procedures
Cautions
- Water soluble compounds of yttrium are considered to be slightly toxic, while its insoluble compounds are considered to be non-toxic.
Interactions
Unknown, please consult with your doctor.
Other names
Y39
References
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yttrium
Chemicool, http://www.chemicool.com/elements/yttrium.html