Palladium [Pd, 46]

Palladium exhibits relatively strong chalcophilic character and chemical reactivity, and thus, it forms more mineral compounds than other platinum group metals (PGMs). Palladium and its compounds are of very low to moderate acute toxicity if swallowed. Workers occupationally exposed to palladium include miners, dental technicians, and chemical workers. Its most important properties are good solubility in water, the ability to transport and fortitude in cells. Palladium (Pd) is a rare, lustrous silvery-white metal of group 10 in the periodic table of elements and is a member of the PGMs. The global Pd production in 2010 was estimated to be 197 t, of which 87 t was produced in Russia, 73 t in South Africa, and 11 t in the United States. Stress effects of Pd in plants have been observed at a lower concentration, compared with other posttranslational modifications, apparently due to its relatively high biochemical activity.