Why is lithium so potentially toxic?

Because the levels in your blood that make lithium effective and the levels that make it toxic are so close, the additional amount that causes acute-on-chronic toxicity doesn’t have to be terribly high.

Is lithium more toxic than lead?

On the brighter side, lithium is not the same as lead and is not as toxic as its battery counterpart, and there are a few companies dedicated to improving the recycling rates of li-on batteries because of its critical importance to both the safety of their users and the market in general.

Is lithium a heavy metal?

Examples of heavy metals include lead, mercury and cadmium. Less commonly, any metal with a potential negative health effect or environmental impact may be termed a heavy metal, such as cobalt, chromium, lithium and even iron.

Does taking lithium shorten your life?

At high doses, lithium reduced their lifespan. “We found low doses not only prolong life but also shield the body from stress and block fat production for flies on a high sugar diet,” said co-researcher Dr Ivana Bjedov from the UCL Cancer Institute.

Does lithium damage the brain?

Prolonged lithium intoxication >2 mM can cause permanent brain damage. Lithium has low mutagenic and carcinogenic risk. Lithium is still the most effective therapy for depression. It “cures” a third of the patients with manic depression, improves the lives of about a third, and is ineffective in about a third.

What does being on lithium feel like?

The most common side effects of lithium are feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, a dry mouth and a metallic taste in the mouth. Your doctor will carry out regular blood tests to check how much lithium is in your blood. The results will be recorded in your lithium record book.

What can destroy lithium?

The first and most reliable way to kill a lithium battery is simply to charge it too much. Charge it above 14.6V and rapid cell damage will occur. Resulting in a short circuit in the weakest cell, which then rapidly increases voltage across the other cells.