Metreons present a threat to dilithium crystals because they, like nadions, tend to drag matter out of phase with the rest of the universe. In high enough concentrations, a metreonic burst can have an effect on an person quite similar to a phaser set to vaporize, but dilithium is much more sensitive to these particles because of the relation between it's crystal lattice structure and a metreon particle's typical wavelength. This produces a resonance effect that causes dilithium crystals to readily decay in the presence of such radiation if not properly shielded.

Metreon radiation can also impair the operation of warp and impulse drive, and in certain forms can be extremely toxic to Anthroids, causing a blood disorder known as "nitremia." On several occasions, certain subspace-based elements in a planetary (or lunar) core have been seen to "ignite" when subjected to high-energy scanning beams; these particles are often associated with exogenic fields, and in some cases the "ignition" of these elements have caused severe metreonic energy spikes which resulted in the destruction of the planetary or lunar body.