Chemical Elements History and Information Vanadium

About the chemical element Vanadium, its symbol, atomic number and weight, who discovered it and when.

The Atomic Elements and Their Uses

(Element) (Symbol) (Atomic number) (Atomic weight)

Vanadium V 23 50.9414

Discovered by Andres Manuel del Rio of Mexico in 1801. Rediscovered and given its present name by Nils Sefstrom of Sweden in 1830. Small doses of vanadium salts can reverse hardening of the arteries. A University of Cincinnati study showed that miners and millers exposed to vanadium had a much lower cholesterol level than unexposed workers. Vanadium pentoxide slows the growth of cavities, yet vanadium is toxic if inhaled, because it destroys the mucous membranes.