Thallium

Thallium (Tl) — 10-Year Trends

As of 2026-09-25 · the last 10 years

Research intensity has declined to about 40% of the element's own all-time peak, a level well below the historic high set in 1961.

Research intensity ran from about 47% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 40% in 2026 — a steady decline, and the all-time peak (1961) lies before this window. Over the same span its share of research attention across all elements fell. Among the 118 elements, thallium has a larger-than-average research literature.

The number of papers involving the element rose from about 1,383 in 2016 to about 2,313 in 2025 (1.67x). That is slower than the literature as a whole grew over the same years, so the element lost ground in the wider body of research even as its own count rose.

The largest research community is Manganese Oxide Geochemistry and Thallium Removal from Water and Soil, which accounts for about 43% of thallium's recent research. Thallium is central to this community, appearing in about 37% of its papers. The work focuses on the determination of trace thallium, its toxicity, and removal from water and soil, often involving manganese oxides. This community is rising, having grown from a 33% share in the earlier period to the current 43%. A key paper here is "Thallium - poisoner’s poison: An overview and review of current knowledge on the toxicological effects and mechanisms" (2024), cited about 59 times, which reviews the toxicological effects and mechanisms of this heavy metal.

A second significant area is Thallium Biomarkers in Epidemiological Health Studies, representing about 8% of the element's recent research. Here, thallium is a minor presence in a much larger community, with under 1% of those papers involving it. These studies analyze urinary thallium levels and metal mixtures in population cohorts to assess associations with liver and kidney disease. This community has remained steady, holding a share of roughly 8% across both periods. A notable contribution is "Biological aging mediates the associations between urinary metals and osteoarthritis among U.S. adults" (2022), cited over 220 times, which examines the role of biological aging in metal exposure and health outcomes.

Thallium Radiopharmaceuticals for Cancer Imaging constitutes about 3% of recent research. Thallium is a minor presence in this community, involved in about 1% of its papers. The work focuses on the production, purification, and use of thallium in single-photon emission computed tomography to image lung cancer cells. This community has remained steady, with a share of about 3% in both periods. A highly cited paper in this area is "Radiopharmaceuticals for PET and SPECT Imaging: A Literature Review over the Last Decade" (2022), cited over 330 times, which reviews the broader landscape of these imaging agents.

Finally, Thallium-201 Myocardial Perfusion Imaging and Prognosis accounts for about 2% of recent research. Thallium is a minor presence here, involved in about 4% of the community's papers. These papers focus on using thallium-201 to assess myocardial perfusion and prognostic value in coronary artery disease. This community is declining, having dropped from a 7% share in the earlier period to the current 2%. A relevant paper is "Prognostic Implications of Normal Exercise Thallium Images" (2017), cited about 46 times, which discusses the diagnostic value of these imaging results.

Overall, the literature is consolidating around environmental and toxicological applications, with the Manganese Oxide Geochemistry community gaining significant share, while the cardiac imaging community loses ground. Other research communities, which held about 43% of the element's recent research, have also seen a decline in their share.

For a deeper look at the element's current standing, see the Last 12 Months and Executive Brief reports.