Are we precious?

 


A precious metal is defined as a rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical element of high economic value – the list currently includes gold, silver, and the platinum group of metals – the most common of which are Palladium and Rhodium.  These are the metals historically defined as having higher prices than other metals.    At current values Palladium is the most expensive, and most rare.

A collision between two neutron stars around 1000 light years from Earth’s current location gave the earth its most commercially precious metals – gold, silver, plutonium and uranium.  It was this discovery by scientists from Columbia University that determined that everyone on earth contains some of these elements.

How much is there of these metals?  We only know what can be understood as being available for extraction with current technology – we don’t know how much is in the earth’s deeper core.  Current thinking is that there is around 400 billion kilograms of gold throughout the earth’s crust, distributed across continents.  Much will never be accessible, but it is thought to exist.

The human body contains gold, silver, platinum and plutonium, as well as other essential metals.  Each person’s body contains 0.2mg of gold, based on an average body weight of 70kgs – this can be compared to an eyelash for reference.  The highest concentration of gold is found in the lymph nodes, the adrenal gland, renal cortex and other organs of the reticuloendothelial system, which plays an important role in immunology processes.

The reticuloendothelial system (RES) is a heterogeneous population of phagocytic cells in systemically fixed tissues that play an important role in the clearance of particles and soluble substances in the circulation and tissues. (any wiser?)

The volume of this gold in purified form would be 10 nanolitres.  To further clarify, if the gold was formed into a solid cube, the measurement of each side would be 0.22millimters.  Gold in the human body relates to the health and maintenance of joints, as well as being a key element in the transmittal of electrical signals in the body.   Essential metals aren’t manufactured by the human body, they are ingested from our diet.   However, it’s not a good idea to eat gold, which can be toxic in large quantities.

US scientists may have found a way to extract gold from toxic human waste.  Researchers discovered microscopic nuggets of gold, silver and platinum after examining human faeces, using an electron scanner at American sewage plants.  According to a study presented at the 249th national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Denver in 2015, scientists note that gold extracted from waste products of one million Americans could be worth USD13million (in 2015).   Gold was identified to be at the level of a minimal mineral deposit.  At the same time, traces of palladium and vanadium (both of which are used in mobile phone and laptop technology) were found.    

These minerals pass through the human body and waste facilities, and if they could be harnessed this could be a profitable exercise, given that several million tonnes of biosolids (human waste) are produced by waste treatment plants every year.  Experiments are ongoing to harvest the good minerals, and at the same time, extract the environmentally harmful chemical to enable better use of waste products as fertiliser etc.

At today’s prices, it’s not worth murdering someone to try and extract their gold, but it may be worth a very large sieving of waste exercise.

 

 

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