Alarm bells have been ringing in the last year or two because recently reviewed medical data has shown that little-known gadolinium poses a health risk. No, not to you (most likely) but in a specific setting. If you’ve ever had to have an MRI you might have been given an injection containing gadolinium-laced chemicals. A statistically significant portion of patients that were exposed to gadolinium this way went on to suffer a number of side effects the most serious of which was… well… death.

Turns out that some people have a sensitivity to this rare earth metal and the organ most affected are the kidneys. But, wait, why was gadolinium of all metals specifically used in the first place? It’s because of gadolinium’s unique magnetic signature. At its core, an MRI machine does a job similar to that microwave oven you use to warm up burritos; that is, a big magnet turning off and on causing particles to rapidly change orientation. With the MRI, sensors pick up where this activity takes place and turn it into maps which can then be read by technicians looking for clues signalling the health or disease of the target area. Microscopic flecks of gadolinium are injected into the bloodstream which serve to amplify these signals, making it easier for the reviewing doctor to come up with a diagnosis.

Although gadolinium has been used for this task for decades the recent reports of its toxicity, especially in those patients with bad kidneys, is making the medical community look for iron-based alternatives. This will likely have an effect on the market for gadolinium as a substantial 50 tons of it has been used annually for these types of injections.

Nothing to worry about in solid form. You might even want to bring this ampule on your next visit to the family doctor for a little show and tell :-)