99Es Einsteinium
Year Discovered
1952
Discovered By
Albert Ghiorso, Bernard Harvey, Gregory Choppen and Stanley Thompson of the USA
Biological Rating
Not necessary for life.
Description
Named after Albert Einstein, einsteinium is a highly radioactive metal. It was discovered in the radioactive fallout of a 1952 atomic bomb test. It has never been found naturally and less than a gram is produced each year. Its chemistry and appearance are not known with any certainty but should be similar to the other actinides. Einsteinium is too rare to have any commercial or industrial application. The most stable isotope of einsteinium has a half-life of 1.3 years.
Biological Benefits
Einsteinium has no biological use.
Role in Life Processes
No known benefits for life processes in plants and animals.
Sources
Einsteinium is obtained by particle bombardment of plutonium.
