Platinum is a noble and non-reactive metal. The concentrations of platinum in the soil, water and air are very minimal. In some places deposits can be found that are very rich in platinum, mainly in South Africa, Russia and the United States. Platinum is used as a component of several metal products, such as electrodes and it can be used as a catalyser of a number of chemical reactions.

Platinum compounds are often applied as a medicine to cure cancer.

Platinum as a metal is not dangerous, but platinum salts can cause several health effects, such as:

- DNA alterations
- Cancer
- Allergic reactions of the skin and the mucous membrane
- Damage to organs, such as intestines, kidneys and bone marrow
- Hearing damage

Finally, a danger of platinum salts is that it can increase the toxicity of other dangerous chemicals in the human body, such as selenium.

However, no platinum toxicity from food has been recorded.