Cobalt poisoning Cobalt poisoning Cobalt poisoning is intoxication caused by excessive levels of cobalt in the body. Cobalt is an essential element for health in animals in minute amounts as a component of Vitamin B. A deficiency of cobalt, which is very rare, is also potentially lethal, leading to pernicious anemia. Exposure to cobalt metal dust is most common in the fabrication of tungsten carbide. Another potential source is wear and tear of metal-on-metal hip prostheses. The value for soluble cobalt salts has been estimated to be between 150 and 500 mg/kg. Thus, for a 100 kg person the LD would be
Cobalt(II) oxide Cobalt(II) oxide Cobalt(II) oxide or cobalt monoxide is an inorganic compound that appears as olive-green to red crystals, or as a greyish or black powder. It is used extensively in the ceramics industry as an additive to create blue colored glazes and enamels as well as in the chemical industry for producing cobalt(II) salts. CoO crystals adopt the periclase (rock salt) structure with a lattice constant of 4.2615 Å. It is antiferromagnetic below 16 °C. Cobalt(II,III) oxide decomposes to cobalt(II) oxide at 950 °C: Though commercially available, cobalt(II) oxide may be prepared in the laboratory by electrolyzing a solution of