Blood and urinary concentrations as estimators of cobalt exposure

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Arch. Environ. Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00039896.1988.10545953· OSTI ID:6728145

Alexandersson, R

Methods for determining low levels of cobalt in blood and urine within a normal range have been developed. Mineralizing by using small amounts of nitric acid, ion exchange separation, and electrothermal atomic absorption measurements are the techniques used. The normal content of cobalt is 8.5 nmol/L (range 1.7-20.4 nmol/L) in blood and 6.8 nmol/L (range 1.7-37.3 nmol/L) in urine in a nonoccupational cobalt-exposed group. After exposure, cobalt is excreted rapidly in urine. When exposure is relatively high, there is rapid continuous decrease in excretion for about 24 hr followed by a slower excretion phase. When exposure is low, the excretion of cobalt in urine is relatively constant but may be 4-10 times higher than in non-exposed persons. The slow excretion can continue at least 4 wk after exposure. Variations of cobalt concentrations in blood are smaller but follow the exposure. When blood and urine concentrations of cobalt were compared on a Friday afternoon, the correlation coefficient was 0.82. When the average exposure to cobalt for the whole week was compared with the cobalt concentration in urine, the correlation coefficient on Friday afternoon was 0.79 and on Monday morning 0.81. For blood, the correlation coefficient was 0.87 on Friday afternoon and 0.76 on Monday morning.

• Research Organization: Sundsvall's Hospital (Sweden)
• OSTI ID: 6728145
• Journal Information: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States), Journal Name: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States) Vol. 43:4; ISSN AEHLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
AIR POLLUTION
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BLOOD
BODY FLUIDS
COBALT
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
ION EXCHANGE
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
METABOLISM
METALS
POLLUTION
PRIMATES
SPECTRA
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
URINE
VERTEBRATES
WASTES