109Mt Meitnerium

Year Discovered

1982

Discovered By

Peter Armbruster and Gottfried Munzenberg of Germany

Biological Rating

Not necessary for life.

Description

Named for the Austrian physicist Lise Meitner, meitnerium is a highly radioactive metal. It has never been found naturally and only a small number of atoms have been produced in laboratories. Its chemistry and appearance are not known with any certainty, although the chemistry is believed to be similar to iridium. Meitnerium is too rare to have any commercial or industrial application. The most stable isotope of meitnerium has a half-life of 0.003 seconds.

Biological Benefits

Meitnerium has no biological use.

Role in Life Processes

No known benefits for life processes in plants and animals.

Sources

Meitnerium is obtained by the fusion process of bombarding bismuth with iron.