Tag: Elemental phosphorus

According to toxicology experts, ingesting elemental white phosphorus, even a small amount, is extremely toxic and potentially fatal. The question "what does drinking phosphorus do?" has two very different answers, depending on whether it refers to highly toxic elemental phosphorus or excessive, chronic intake of dietary phosphate, the mineral form found in foods and supplements.

The molar mass of the phosphate ion ($PO_4^{3-}$), an important component in biochemistry, is approximately 94.97 g/mol, a value that is fundamental for precise chemical conversions. However, translating between millimoles (mmol) and milligrams (mg) requires understanding whether you are referring to the entire ion or just its elemental phosphorus component.

The human body requires phosphorus as an essential mineral for biological functions, but this is a different form than elemental red phosphorus, a toxic industrial chemical with no beneficial role in human health. In fact, exposure to red phosphorus poses serious health risks, particularly due to the potential presence of its much more hazardous white allotrope as an impurity.