Efflux is a perfectly innocent noun that got converted into a verb without its consent. As a noun, it describes a process -- the process of effusion -- or the stuff that comes out itself -- the effluent.

There remains hope. The verb form of this noun is intransitive. Therefor, it is the effluent which effuxes, not the container, or, in your case, it is the heavy metal which effluxes, not the cell.

Try this. It may not, as tsuwm wisely observes, save the day nor the language, but it will irritate the hell out of the scientific types who are misusing it, which may be the consolation (and only) prize.