But it is not yet an important technology in the drug industry because of its use of poisonous heavy metals as catalysts.

ECONOMIST: MONITOR

He found high levels of poisonous heavy metals in the water and believed there was a direct connection between incidences of cancer and mining in the area.

BBC: China acknowledges 'cancer villages'

As a heavy metal, it is also chemically poisonous in addition to being radioactively poisonous.

BBC: News Online