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Cobalt

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Kanerva's Occupational Dermatology

Abstract

Cobalt is a frequent cause of contact allergy, often seen together with allergy to nickel or chromium. Workers in the hardmetal, construction, and electronics industries and dental technicians, among others, are often allergic to cobalt.

The clinical relevance of patch test reactivity to cobalt is often difficult to establish. Scarce knowledge about sources of skin exposure contributes to the difficulties.

Cobalt has broad applications. Cobalt-containing materials such as hardmetals, alloys, coatings, and compounds have different ability to release cobalt ions upon skin contact and to cause dermatitis.

Quantification of cobalt on the skin by wipe sampling, a new spot test for identifying cobalt release, and assessment of cobalt release from materials immersed in artificial sweat, will increase knowledge and facilitate prevention of cobalt allergy.

Cobalt and cobalt compounds cause occupational lung disease and they are classified as probably and possibly carcinogenic, and as toxic to the environment.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, Stockholm, SE-171 77, Sweden

    Prof. Carola Lidén M.D. & Dr. Anneli Julander Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Prof. Carola Lidén M.D.
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  2. Dr. Anneli Julander Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carola Lidén M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology and Allergology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Thomas Rustemeyer

  2. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany

    Peter Elsner

  3. Department of Dermatology, Environmental Medicine and Health Theory, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany

    Swen-Malte John

  4. Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Howard I. Maibach

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Lidén, C., Julander, A. (2012). Cobalt. In: Rustemeyer, T., Elsner, P., John, SM., Maibach, H.I. (eds) Kanerva's Occupational Dermatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02035-3_45

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02035-3_45

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-02034-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-02035-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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