COBALT
Cobalt is a hard ferromagnetic, silver-white, hard, lustrous, brittle element. Its atomic number is 27. As cobalt is widely dispersed in the environment humans may be exposed to it by breathing air, drinking water and eating food that contains cobalt. Skin contact with soil or water that contains cobalt may also enhance exposure. Cobalt is not often freely available in the environment, but when cobalt particles are not bound to soil or sediment particles the uptake by plants and animals is higher and accumulation in plants and animals may occur. Cobalt is beneficial for humans because it is a part of Vitamin 12 , which is essential for human health. Cobalt is used to treat anaemia with pregnant women, because it stimulates the production of red blood cells. The total daily intake of cobalt is variable and may be as much as 1 mg, but almost all will pass through the body unabsorbed, except that in vitamin B12. However, too high concentrations of cobalt may damage human healt...