Tuesday, May 15, 2012

How Cobalt Toxicity Affects Patients: Part Three: Explaining Cobalt Poisoning

Cobalt actually appears naturally in the body, but individuals who have no unusual environmental exposure to cobalt will typically have less than 0.41 micrograms per deciliter in their bloodstream. This amount of cobalt equals about the size of a single grain of sand. Levels of cobalt higher than 1 microgram per deciliter are believed to be dangerous, while levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter in the bloodstream are toxic. These tiny amounts of cobalt—equal to approximately five tiny grains of sand—can nonetheless wreak havoc inside the human body.

Benefits of Cobalt

Cobalt is found in the chemical makeup of vitamin B12, and in normal amounts is beneficial to the human body. In some cases cobalt is used to treat anemia in expectant mothers since it is known to stimulate red blood cells. When cobalt is used in this manner, the majority passes through the body unabsorbed and harmless. Cobalt is a very hard metal, which is why manufacturers began using it in hip implants and is comparable to iron and nickel. Like iron, cobalt can be magnetized, therefore is commonly used in the manufacture of magnets. Cobalt is also used in varnishes and inks as a drying agent and is seen often in the palette of artists. Cobalt blue is used by enamel jewelry makers as well as those who work in the pottery, stained glass and porcelain industries. Everyday items such as batteries, drill bits, tires, chemistry sets and machine tools incorporate cobalt. Cobalt-60 is a radioactive material used extensively in medical applications.

Dangerous Levels of Cobalt

Those who work in metalworking industries can often show higher than normal levels of cobalt in their blood as fine particles are released into the air during refining and processing then breathed in by workers. Those whose employment is in nuclear facilities or nuclear waste storage sites may also experience high levels of cobalt exposure. Toxic levels of cobalt can cause serious health issues in both the heart and lungs as well as an entire array of lesser—yet still serious—ill health effects. Cobalt toxicity can cause constant ringing in the ears, vertigo, optic nerve atrophy, severe and chronic headaches, losses in cognitive abilities, weakness of the limbs, convulsion, hypothyroidism and even blindness or deafness.

A recent Alaska epidemiology report recommends that health care providers be made aware of the possibility of cobalt poisoning among patients with metal-on-metal hip implants and that these patients be monitored closely for any symptoms of cobalt poisoning for at least five years following the initial hip replacement surgery. Any recipient of the metal-on-metal hip implant who experiences worsening hip or groin pain, along with other symptoms should consider revision surgery to remove the device and lessen the likelihood of cobalt toxicity.

Author: Sullo & Sullo Attorneys

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