Periodic Table of Endangered Elements Updated by EuChemS in 2023
The American Chemical Society (ACS) reports that 44 of the 118 chemical elements could disappear by the end of the century. To visualize this, the Periodic Table of Endangered Elements was created in 2015, highlighting the most endangered elements in red: Zinc, Gallium, Germanium, Arsenic, Silver, Indium, Tellurium, and Hafnium. In 2023, the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) updated the table to reflect the current-day availability of all 90 naturally occurring elements, adding an axis for sustainability and flagging elements used in smartphone production. The updated table is available under a Creative Commons license and can be viewed in a larger format on the ACS website. The original image, created in 2015, was updated by EuChemS in 2023. The table serves as a visual tool to raise awareness about the finite nature of these elements and the importance of sustainable practices. The update was made available on Open Culture, a platform that provides free cultural and educational materials, and the article includes a request for donations to support their mission.
Key facts
- The American Chemical Society states that 44 of the 118 chemical elements might disappear by century's end.
- The most endangered elements are Zinc, Gallium, Germanium, Arsenic, Silver, Indium, Tellurium, and Hafnium.
- The original Periodic Table of Endangered Elements was created in 2015.
- EuChemS updated the table in 2023 to show current-day availability of all 90 elements.
- The updated table adds an axis for sustainability and flags elements used in smartphone production.
- The table is available under a Creative Commons license.
- The larger format of the table can be viewed on the ACS website.
- The article was published on Open Culture in August 2026.
Entities
Institutions
- American Chemical Society
- EuChemS
- Open Culture