Discovered in: 1803

Discovered by: Smithson Tennant of England

Description: Named from the Greek word meaning "smell", osmium is a bluish-gray metal that is very stable, unaffected by air, water or acids. Powdered osmium gives off a distinctive, pungent smell, which is actually the compound osmium tetroxide. It is this smell that gives osmium its name. Osmium is densest of all elements; a brick-sized block would weigh about 56 pounds. Osmium is used to create extremely hard alloys. Ball-point pen tips, durable electrical contacts and high stress joints and pivots are usually made of an osmium alloy. Osmium tetroxide is used to detect fingerprints. A platinum-osmium alloy is used in pacemakers and heart replacement valves. Osmium also has use in microscopy and as a catalyst.

Biological Rating: No known benefits for life processes in plants and animals. Biological Benefits: Osmium has no known biological use

Percentage Amount in the Human Body: Near 0 %

Obtained from: Osmium is found in its pure form, and in a natural alloy with iridium known as osmiridium. Osmium is concentrated in layered mafic igneous bodies with other platinum-group metals. It is recovered as a by-product of nickel processing, and is mined in South Africa, Russia, Canada, Australia and the USA.