Cobalt

What is Cobalt?

CAS#: 007440-48-4

Cobalt is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, soil, water, plants, and animals. Cobalt is used to produce alloys used in the manufacture of aircraft engines, magnets, grinding and cutting tools, artificial hip and knee joints. Cobalt compounds are also used to color glass, ceramics and paints, and used as a drier for porcelain enamel and paints.

Radioactive cobalt is used for commercial and medical purposes. ⁶⁰Co (read as cobalt sixty) is used for sterilizing medical equipment and consumer products, radiation therapy for treating cancer patients, manufacturing plastics, and irradiating food. ⁵⁷Co is used in medical and scientific research. It takes about 5.27 years for half of ⁶⁰Co to give off its radiation and about 272 days for ⁵⁷Co; this is called the half-life.

Related Resources for Cobalt

• CERCLA Priority List of Hazardous Substances
  Prioritization of substances based on a combination of their frequency, toxicity, and potential for human exposure at National Priorities List (NPL) sites.
  
• Interaction Profile
  Succintly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for mixtures of hazardous substances.
  
• Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs)
  Intended to serve as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to look more closely.
• National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals
  Report provides an ongoing assessment of the exposure of the U.S. population to environmental chemicals using biomonitoring.
  
  • Results by Chemical Group
• Public Health Statement
  Summary about a hazardous substance taken from Chapter One of its respective ATSDR Toxicological Profile.
  
• ToxFAQ
  Fact sheet that answers the most frequently asked questions about a contaminant and its health effects.
  
• Toxicological Profile
  Succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for a hazardous substance.
  
top
This page was updated on 06/04/2008