College of Medicine

Background: Thallium is a toxic heavy metal. Its salts are tasteless, odorless and easily dissolved in water. It causes serious health hazards which may lead to death. Thallium poisoning can occur even in small doses with any type of contamination and through any route of administration. It distributes in all tissues of the body causing severe tissue damage due to its high affinity to sulfhydryl groups in some amino acids leading to interference with many enzyme systems and proteins of the body.