Is cobalt found in drinking water?
In most drinking water, cobalt levels are less than 1–2 ppb. For most people, food is the largest source of cobalt intake. The average person consumes about 11 micrograms of cobalt a day in their diet.
What is cobalt in?
Cobalt is commonly used in electroplating because of its appearance, hardness, and resistance to oxidation. Cobalt compounds have been used for centuries to create a rich blue color in glass, glazes, ceramics, porcelain, pottery, tiles, and enamels.
Who limits cobalt in drinking water?
To protect aquatic life in freshwater environments, an interim acute (maximum) guideline of 110 µg cobalt/L and an interim chronic (30-day average) guideline of 4 µg cobalt/L are recommended cobalt based on a literature review and toxicity testing.
Is cobalt used in cell phones?
Cobalt is an essential mineral for the lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, laptops and smart phones. It offers the highest energy density and is key for boosting battery life.
How do you get cobalt poisoning?
Cobalt is known to produce a variety of symptoms in patients who accumulate a toxic amount in their blood. Cobalt poisoning can arise from metal implants due to wear and tear on the metal implant surfaces, but implant deterioration has not yet been reported to cause muscle spasticity.
Is mining cobalt toxic?
Particles emitted during cobalt mining consists radioactive emissions, cancer-causing particles, and particles which may cause vision problems, vomiting and nausea, heart problems, and Thyroid damage.
How long does cobalt stay in the body?
Studies of whole-body retention of inorganic cobalt in physiologically normal adult human males after intravenous injection demonstrated that approximately 40% of the dose was eliminated within the first 24 hours, 70% by one week, after one month 20% was retained, and after one year 10% was retained[7-8].