Glossary of Metals
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Glossary of Metals • Antimony • Manganese • Arsenic • Mercury • Barium • Molybdenum • Cadmium • Nickel • Cesium • Selenium • Chromium • Thallium • Cobalt • Tungsten • Lead • Uranium Antimony Antimony is a silvery-white metal found in the earth’s crust. Most antimony is brought into the United States from other countries for processing. Antimony is used in lead storage batteries, sheet and pipe metal, paints, ceramics, and fireworks. It is also is added to textiles and plastics to prevent them from catching fire. Route of exposure Antimony is released to the environment from natural sources and from industry. Rivers, lakes, and streams contain low levels of antimony. Because antimony is found naturally in the environment, people are exposed to low levels of it every day, primarily in food, drinking water, and air. Workers in industries that process or use antimony ore can be exposed to higher levels. Health effects Breathing high levels of antimony for a long time can irritate a person’s eyes and lungs and can cause heart and lung problems, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach ulcers. Ingesting large doses of antimony can cause vomiting. We do not know of other problems caused by eating or drinking it. Long-term studies in lab animals found liver damage and blood changes when animals ingested antimony. In some lab studies in which the animals breathed high levels of antimony, the animals got lung cancer. We do not know whether antimony will cause cancer in people. Measuring exposure The lowest urine level of antimony associated with health problems is not known. Workers who are exposed to antimony but do not have signs of illness from this exposure can have urine levels of antimony up to 300 µg/L. Return to menu Arsenic Arsenic is a naturally occurring element widely distributed in the earth’s crust. It combines with oxygen and other elements to form inorganic arsenic compounds. Inorganic arsenic compounds have various industrial purposes, including the smelting of other metals such as lead, manufacture of some types of glass, and formulation of pesticides and fungicides. Inorganic arsenic compounds also can be used in pressure-treated wood. Route of exposure Inorganic arsenic compounds can dissolve in water, get into food, or blow on the wind in arsenic-containing soil. Arsenic can get into plants when their roots take up water that contains arsenic. It can get into animals when they eat food, drink water, or breathe air that contains arsenic. In plants and animals, arsenic combines with carbon and hydrogen to form organic arsenic compounds. Organic arsenic compounds are less toxic than inorganic arsenic compounds. Arsenic can build up in fish and shellfish, but the arsenic in fish is mostly the organic form and therefore much less harmful. Health effects People exposed to high levels of arsenic can have nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, and low blood pressure. These symptoms may be followed by a feeling of "pins and needles" in the hands and feet (neuropathy). Chronic (long-term) exposure to arsenic can cause stomach ailments, headaches, fatigue, neuropathy, dark splotches on the skin, and small "corns" or "warts" on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and torso. People exposed to inorganic arsenic can have more cancer of the lung, skin, bladder, liver, kidney, and prostate. Studies have not linked arsenic exposure to leukemia in adults or children. Measuring exposure Normal urine levels of arsenic are less than 50 µg/L. A level between 50 and 200 µg/L should be monitored by your physician but does not necessarily represent a health risk. A level over 200 µg/L is considered abnormal and may require treatment if symptoms of arsenic poisoning are present. The best test to confirm too much arsenic exposure is a 24-hour urine collection and analysis after 3 days of a seafood-free diet. Return to menu Barium Barium is a silvery-white metal found in nature. Barium compounds are used to make paint, bricks, tiles, glass, and rubber; used by the oil and gas industries in drilling muds; and sometimes used by doctors to perform medical tests. Route of exposure Barium is found in most soils and foods at low levels. Barium builds up in fish and other aquatic plants and animals. People are exposed to barium by drinking water and eating food that contains barium, and breathing very low levels of barium in air. Health effects The health problems from different barium compounds depend on how well the compound dissolves in water. Barium compounds that do not dissolve well in water, such as those used in medical tests, generally are not harmful. The barium compounds that do dissolve well in water can harm people. Eating food and drinking water with high levels of barium compounds that easily dissolve in water for a short time can cause stomach irritation, higher blood pressure, muscle weakness, or damage to the liver, kidney, heart, and spleen. We do not know the effects in people who have ingested low levels of barium over a long time but lab animals that ate barium over a long period had high blood pressure and changes in the heart. The few animal studies that have been done to determine whether barium causes cancer have produced unclear results. Measuring exposure The lowest urine level of barium associated with health problems is not known. A study of 18 welders exposed to barium showed an average barium level of 101.7 µg/L in their urine but no health problems in these welders were proven. Return to menu Cadmium Cadmium is a metallic element that occurs naturally in the earth’s crust. All soils and rocks contain some cadmium. Most cadmium used in the United States is extracted during the production of other metals like zinc and copper. Cadmium has many uses, including batteries, pigments, metal coatings, and plastics. Route of exposure Cadmium enters the air from mining, industry, and burning household wastes. Plants and animals take up cadmium from the environment. People are exposed to cadmium by inhaling cigarette smoke and contaminated air and by eating foods and drinking water contaminated with cadmium. Health effects Breathing high levels of cadmium can damage the lungs. Eating food or drinking water with very high levels can irritate the stomach, leading to vomiting and diarrhea. Exposure to lower levels of cadmium over a long time builds up cadmium in the kidneys and possibly leads to kidney disease. Other long-term effects are lung damage and fragile bones. Some studies have shown that workplace exposure to cadmium can cause lung and prostate cancer but other studies have not shown this. According to the Environmental Protection agency, cadmium probably causes lung cancer and possibly causes prostate cancer. Measuring exposure A blood cadmium level lower than 5 µg/L is considered normal. The World Health Organization considers concentrations lower than 10 µg/L in blood acceptable for workplace exposures. Several studies have indicated that cadmium levels more than 10 µg/L in urine of workers have been associated with kidney disease. Thus, a level greater than 10 µg/L in a worker’s urine requires medical attention according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) . Return to menu Cesium Cesium is a naturally occurring element in rocks, soil, and dust at low concentrations. Cesium is not mined or produced in the United States, and very little is imported from other countries. Cesium metal and its compounds have few commercial uses. Sometimes cesium is used to absorb for residual gas impurities in vacuum tubes and as a coating in tungsten filaments or cathodes of the tubes. Naturally occurring cesium occurs in the environment mostly from the erosion and weathering of rocks and minerals. The mining and milling of certain ores can also release cesium to the air, water, and soil. The level of cesium in air and water is usually low. Route of exposure People can be exposed to cesium by breathing air, drinking water, or eating food that contains it. When you eat, drink, breathe, or touch things containing cesium compounds that can easily be dissolved in water, cesium enters your blood and is carried to all parts of your body. Health effects You are very unlikely to experience any health problems that could be related to naturally occurring cesium itself. In lab animals, cesium is not very toxic. Animals given very large doses of cesium compounds had changes in behavior, such as more activity or less activity, but you are not likely to breathe, eat, or drink amounts of cesium large enough to cause similar effects. Cancer has not been related to exposure to naturally occurring cesium. Measuring exposure The lowest urine concentration of natural cesium that is associated with health problems is unknown. Return to menu Chromium Chromium is a naturally occurring element in rocks, animals, plants, soil, and volcanic dust and gases. Chromium is present in the environment in several different forms. You were tested for a total chromium concentration. Some forms of chromium occur naturally in the environment and are essential nutrients in the human diet. Industrial processes generally produce other forms of chromium. Route of exposure Chromium can enter the air, water, and soil. In air, chromium compounds exist mostly as fine dust particles that eventually settle over land and water. Chromium does not build up in fish from water. People are exposed to chromium by eating food, breathing air, or drinking water containing chromium. Health effects All forms of chromium can be toxic at high levels, but some forms are more toxic than others. Breathing high levels of chromium can cause irritation to the nose, such as runny nose and nosebleeds.