Ruthenium [Ru, 44]

Ruthenium is a hard, white metal of group 8 in the periodic table of elements and is a member of the platinum group metals (PGMs). It is resistant to acids, but reacts with alkalis, especially under oxidizing conditions. The PGMs mined in South Africa contain, on average, 11% Ruthenium, whereas the PGMs mined in the former USSR contain only 2% Ruthenium. Two radionuclides are released during nuclear reactions. Both radionuclides were deposited on soils by the fallout after the Chernobyl accident. This radionuclide is relatively mobile and migrates down soil profiles. A significant phytogenetic effect on the variable uptake and accumulation of both radionuclides by plants is observed. There is not any evidence for adverse effects of metals, introduced into environments with exhaust emissions. Ruthenium anticancer drugs have attracted an increasing interest in the past 20 years and two of them have entered clinical trials.