Editing Tungsten (section)

== Health factors ==

Because tungsten is a rare metal<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/the-earths-precious-metals|title=The Earth's most precious metals arrived on meteorites|first=Mark|last=Brown|date=7 September 2011|magazine=wired.co.uk}}</ref> and its compounds are generally inert, the effects of tungsten on the environment are limited.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.01.083|date=2005|author=Strigul, N|author2=Koutsospyros, A|author3=Arienti, P|author4=Christodoulatos, C|author5=Dermatas, D|author6=Braida, W|title=Effects of tungsten on environmental systems|volume=61|issue=2|pages=248–58 |pmid=16168748|journal=Chemosphere|bibcode=2005Chmsp..61..248S}}</ref> The abundance of tungsten in the Earth's crust is thought to be about 1.5 parts per million. It is the 58th most abundant element found on Earth.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krebs |first=Robert E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D7LOEAAAQBAJ&dq=%2258th+most+abundant+element%22&pg=PA154 |title=The History and Use of Our Earth's Chemical Elements: A Reference Guide |date=2006-07-30 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-0-313-02798-7 |language=en}}</ref>

It was at first believed to be relatively inert and an only slightly toxic metal, but beginning in the year 2000, the risk presented by tungsten alloys, its dusts and particulates to induce cancer and several other adverse effects in animals as well as humans has been highlighted from in vitro and in vivo experiments.<ref>{{cite journal |title = Tungsten-induced carcinogenesis in human bronchial epithelial cells|author1 = Laulicht, F.|author2 = Brocato, J.|author3 = Cartularo, L.|author4 = Vaughan, J. |author5 = Wu, F. |author6 = Vaughan, J. |author7 = Kluz, T. |author8 = Sun, H. |author9 = Oksuz, B. A. |author10 = Shen, S. |author11 = Peana, M. |author12 = Medici, S. |author13 = Zoroddu, M. A.|author14 = Costa, M. |journal = Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology|volume = 288 |issue = 1|pages = 33–39|date = 2015|doi = 10.1016/j.taap.2015.07.003 |pmid = 26164860|pmc = 4579035| bibcode=2015ToxAP.288...33L }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title = Tungsten or Wolfram: Friend or Foe?|author1 = Zoroddu, M. A.|author2 = Medici, S.|author3 = Peana, M.|author4 = Nurchi, V. M. |author5 = Lachowicz, J. I. |author6 = Laulicht, J. |author7 = Costa, M. |journal = Curr. Med. Chem.|volume = 24 |issue = 1|pages = 65–90|date = 2017|doi = 10.2174/0929867324666170428105603 |pmid = 27855621}}</ref>
The [[median lethal dose]] LD<sub>50</sub> depends strongly on the animal and the method of administration and varies between 59&nbsp;mg/kg (intravenous, rabbits)<ref>{{cite journal |title = A review of tungsten: From environmental obscurity to scrutiny|first = A.|last = Koutsospyros|author2 = Braida, W.|author3 = Christodoulatos, C.|author4 = Dermatas, D.|author5 = Strigul, N. |journal = Journal of Hazardous Materials|volume = 136 |issue = 1|pages = 1–19|date = 2006|doi = 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2005.11.007 |pmid = 16343746| bibcode=2006JHzM..136....1K }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Lagarde|first1=F.|last2=Leroy|first2=M.|title=Metabolism and toxicity of tungsten in humans and animals|volume=39|pages=741–59|date=2002|pmid=11913143|doi=10.1201/9780203909331.ch22|series=Metal Ions in Biological Systems|doi-broken-date=2024-11-12 |isbn=978-0-8247-0765-1}} also reported in {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2yNCBzFQgMgC&pg=PA741|page=741 ff|title=Molybdenum and tungsten: their roles in biological processes|author=Astrid Sigel|author2=Helmut Sigel|publisher=CRC Press|date= 2002|isbn=978-0-8247-0765-1}}</ref> and 5000&nbsp;mg/kg (tungsten metal powder, [[Intraperitoneal injection|intraperitoneal]], rats).<ref>{{cite web|url = https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/chem_background/exsumpdf/tungsten_508.pdf|first = Scott|last = Masten|publisher = National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences|title = Tungsten and Selected Tungsten Compounds – Review of Toxicological Literature|date = 2003|access-date = 2009-03-19|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090325000020/http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/Chem_Background/ExSumPdf/tungsten.pdf|archive-date = 2009-03-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |pmid=9144946 |date=1997 |author=Marquet, P. |display-authors=etal|title=Tungsten determination in biological fluids, hair and nails by plasma emission spectrometry in a case of severe acute intoxication in man |volume=42 |issue=3 |pages=527–30 |journal=Journal of Forensic Sciences|doi=10.1520/JFS14162J }}</ref>

People can be exposed to tungsten in the workplace by breathing it in, swallowing it, skin contact, and eye contact. The [[National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health]] (NIOSH) has set a [[recommended exposure limit]] (REL) of 5&nbsp;mg/m<sup>3</sup> over an 8-hour workday and a short term limit of 10&nbsp;mg/m<sup>3</sup>.<ref>{{cite web|title = CDC – NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards – Tungsten|url = https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0645.html|website = www.cdc.gov|access-date = 2015-11-24|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151125103131/http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0645.html|archive-date = 2015-11-25}}</ref>