An Essential Trace Element for Life

Sodium molybdate is used as an anodic corrosion inhibitor, effective against pitting corrosion, in a number of applications, such as in automobile anti-freeze products and in water cooling systems. 

Chemicals containing ammonium molybdate and/or molybdenum oxide are used to reduce the smoke from burning PVC. 

There are very few examples of biological selection for functional purposes of elements with atomic number higher than 35. The outstanding exceptions are molybdenum and iodine. 

The molybdenum requirement for adult men is 0.15-0.20 mg/day and cereals are the most important source. 

Scheele, Forsok med Blyerts, Molyb-dcena [Experiments with Molybdcena], KVAH [Transactions of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences[, 1778, Jul. Aug. Sept. pp.247-255 

---

It has already been demonstrated that copper is an essential trace element for life, it is now necessary to show that, under abnormal conditions or when present in excess, it can be toxic. In normal man copper balance is maintained throughout life so that delicate homeostatic processes must exist for providing enough copper for normal metabolic processes but no more. The big reserves of the neonate are rapidly dispersed and are not found even in young children. Unfortunately no animal model which mimics the metabolic disturbance of Wilson s disease is available for study so that experiments in which excess copper is fed to animals will not necessarily give rise to the same syndrome. Nevertheless there is experimental evidence that copper is toxic to animals when administered in quantities sufficient to produce a positive balance. 

---