Page last updated: 2024-11-05

thorium dioxide

Description Research Excerpts Clinical Trials Roles Classes Pathways Study Profile Bioassays Related Drugs Related Conditions Protein Interactions Research Growth Market Indicators

Description

Thorium dioxide, also known as thoria, is a white, dense, radioactive solid. It is typically synthesized by reacting thorium(IV) nitrate with ammonia or by calcining thorium oxalate. Thorium dioxide is a significant nuclear fuel material due to its high thermal conductivity, melting point, and neutron capture cross-section. It is also used in various applications, including high-temperature ceramics, catalysts, and incandescent gas mantles. Thorium dioxide's potential as an alternative nuclear fuel source is actively researched due to its abundance in the Earth's crust and its ability to produce less radioactive waste than uranium. However, concerns regarding its radioactivity and the potential for environmental contamination require careful consideration for safe handling and disposal.'

Thorium Dioxide: Thorium oxide (ThO2). A radiographic contrast agent that was used in the early 1930s through about 1954. High rates of mortality have been linked to its use and it has been shown to cause liver cancer. [Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), National Library of Medicine, extracted Dec-2023]

Cross-References

ID SourceID
PubMed CID14808
CHEBI ID37339
MeSH IDM0021413

Synonyms (21)

Synonym
unii-9xa7x17uqc
CHEBI:37339
1314-20-1
thorium dioxide
thoria
tho2
thorium(iv) oxide
thorotrast
einecs 215-225-1
thorium oxide (tho2)
thortrast
thorium-232 dioxide
umbrathor
thorium anhydride
hsdb 6364
thorianite
thorium oxide, >=99.0%
dioxothorium
Q420634
ZCUFMDLYAMJYST-UHFFFAOYSA-N
thorium(iv)oxide

Research Excerpts

Overview

Thorium dioxide is a deleterious substance that was employed as a vascular contrast medium during the early 20th century.

ExcerptReferenceRelevance
"Thorium dioxide is a deleterious substance that was employed as a vascular contrast medium during the early 20th century. "( Malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Induced by thorium.
David, ET; DiMarcangelo, MT; Kuroda, K, 1990
)
1.72

Dosage Studied

The carcinogenicity of thorium dioxide sol (Thorotrast), an X-ray contrast medium used in 1930-1955, in the liver and bone marrow has been established and agrees well with the effects of a high dosage of alpha radiation in the organs.

ExcerptRelevanceReference
"Two strains of Trypanosoma cruzi, isolated from humans and assayed for their biological capacity to kill outbred white Swiss mice (HaM/CR-CD) following reticuloendothelial system blockade with thorium dioxide, were used in these experiments: the Maria Cristina strain, which killed all blocked mice at a rate following a rectangular dose-response curve, and the José Cardoso strain, which did not kill blocked mice at comparable dosages."( Transplacental transmission and fetal parasitosis of Trypanosoma cruzi in outbred white Swiss mice.
Delgado, MA; Santos-Buch, CA, 1978
)
0.45
"The carcinogenicity of thorium dioxide sol (Thorotrast), an X-ray contrast medium used in 1930-1955, in the liver and bone marrow has been established and agrees well with the effects of a high dosage of alpha radiation in the organs."( Lack of apparent excess of malignant mesothelioma but increased overall malignancies of peritoneal cavity in Japanese autopsies with Thorotrast injection into blood vessels.
Ishikawa, Y; Machinami, R; Mori, T, 1995
)
0.6
" In addition, a possible dose-response gradient exists for Thorotrast and malignant mesothelioma."( Lung carcinoma and malignant mesothelioma in patients exposed to Thorotrast: incidence, histology and p53 status.
Andersson, M; Bennett, WP; De Benedetti, VM; Jönsson, M; Nielsen, LL; Storm, HH; Travis, LB; Visfeldt, J; Vyberg, M; Wallin, H, 1995
)
0.29
" A significant dose-response relationship was found for all causes of death and malignant tumors among all age groups, and since SMR increased with time for the latter category, this is consistent with an effect of cumulative radiation exposure on cancer development."( Mortality after long-term exposure to radioactive Thorotrast: a forty-year follow-up survey in Sweden.
Hall, P; Holm, LE; Martling, U; Mattsson, A; Travis, LB, 1999
)
0.3
" They provide information on relative biological effectiveness (RBE), dose-response relationships, dose-rate effects and the location of target cells for different malignancies."( Quantitative comparisons of cancer induction in humans by internally deposited radionuclides and external radiation.
Harrison, JD; Muirhead, CR, 2003
)
0.32
[information is derived through text-mining from research data collected from National Library of Medicine (NLM), extracted Dec-2023]

Drug Classes (1)

ClassDescription
thorium molecular entityAn actinoid molecular entity containing at least one atome of thorium.
[compound class information is derived from Chemical Entities of Biological Interest (ChEBI), Hastings J, Owen G, Dekker A, Ennis M, Kale N, Muthukrishnan V, Turner S, Swainston N, Mendes P, Steinbeck C. (2016). ChEBI in 2016: Improved services and an expanding collection of metabolites. Nucleic Acids Res]

Research

Studies (1,444)

TimeframeStudies, This Drug (%)All Drugs %
pre-19901266 (87.67)18.7374
1990's107 (7.41)18.2507
2000's46 (3.19)29.6817
2010's20 (1.39)24.3611
2020's5 (0.35)2.80
[information is prepared from research data collected from National Library of Medicine (NLM), extracted Dec-2023]

Market Indicators

Research Demand Index: 53.94

According to the monthly volume, diversity, and competition of internet searches for this compound, as well the volume and growth of publications, there is estimated to be very strong demand-to-supply ratio for research on this compound.

MetricThis Compound (vs All)
Research Demand Index53.94 (24.57)
Research Supply Index7.32 (2.92)
Research Growth Index4.13 (4.65)
Search Engine Demand Index91.31 (26.88)
Search Engine Supply Index2.00 (0.95)

This Compound (53.94)

All Compounds (24.57)

Study Types

Publication TypeThis drug (%)All Drugs (%)
Trials1 (0.07%)5.53%
Reviews57 (3.78%)6.00%
Case Studies279 (18.51%)4.05%
Observational0 (0.00%)0.25%
Other1,170 (77.64%)84.16%
[information is prepared from research data collected from National Library of Medicine (NLM), extracted Dec-2023]