Prevalence of Cobalt in the Environment and Its Role in Biological Processes

Abstract

Cobalt (Co) is an essential trace element for humans and other animals, but high doses can be harmful to human health. It is present in some foods such as green vegetables, various spices, meat, milk products, seafood, and eggs, and in drinking water. Co is necessary for the metabolism of human beings and animals due to its key role in the formation of vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, the biological reservoir of Co. In high concentrations, Co may cause some health issues such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, bleeding, low blood pressure, heart diseases, thyroid damage, hair loss, bone defects, and the inhibition of some enzyme activities. Conversely, Co deficiency can lead to anorexia, chronic swelling, and detrimental anemia. Co nanoparticles have different and various biomedical applications thanks to their antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and antidiabetic properties. In addition, Co and cobalt oxide nanoparticles can be used in lithium-ion batteries, as a catalyst, a carrier for targeted drug delivery, a gas sensor, an electronic thin film, and in energy storage. Accumulation of Co in agriculture and humans, due to natural and anthropogenic factors, represents a global problem affecting water quality and human and animal health. Besides the common chelating agents used for Co intoxication, phytoremediation is an interesting environmental technology for cleaning up soil contaminated with Co. The occurrence of Co in the environment is discussed and its involvement in biological processes is underlined. Toxicological aspects related to Co are also examined in this review.

Maternal cobalt concentration and risk of spontaneous preterm birth: the role of fasting blood glucose and lipid profiles

“…The concentration of cobalt in serum varies greatly among different populations, influenced by factors such as diet, occupation, and living environment. Therefore, it is challenging to pinpoint the specific reasons for these variations ( 13 ).…”

“…Notably, Brazil nuts, caw liver ( 27 ), and herbs ( 28 ) are rich in cobalt. Other dietary items such as fish, green leafy vegetables, coffee, and grains also provide significant amounts of cobalt ( 13 ). However, we did not investigate the dietary habits of the study population, thus preventing an assessment of cobalt intake through this route of external exposure.…”

Nanomaterials Based on 2,7,12,17-Tetra-tert-butyl-5,10,15,20-tetraaza-21H,23H-porphine Exhibiting Bifunctional Sensitivity for Monitoring Chloramphenicol and Co2+

“…Detection domains, detection limits, and areas of application. References [17,18,[23][24][25][26][27][28]58,77, are citied in the Supplementary materials.…”

“…Table S2 from the Supplementary Materials contains data concerning recent performances in Co 2+ detection. Several methods for the determination of cobalt have been reported, which mainly focused on spectrophotometry [23], flow injection [24], liquid chromatography [25], and capillary electrophoresis [26]. Co 2+ detection in different sources, such as water, milk, spinach leaves, cabbage leaves, lettuce leaves, parsnip root, celery root, garlic root, white onion root, red onion root, orange, tangerine, red grapefruit, apple, pear, milk, powder milk, chicken liver, flour, cinnamon, coffee, and beer [27], is needed to control the content of this metal in different foods [28].…”

Micronutrient Status and Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review

“…It is also a component of orthopedic prosthetic implants that may cause Co-related toxicity [140]. The dietary intake of cobalt varies between 5 and 50 µg/day, while its food sources are fish, nuts, broccoli, and spinach [141]. Co salts are recognized carcinogenic agents of grade 2A and 2B in the International Agency for Research on Cancer classification [142].…”