Can exposure to tungsten make people sick?
Workers exposed to high levels of tungsten dust or vapors can have skin, eye, throat, or nose irritation. Workers who are exposed to tungsten often are exposed to other heavy metals, such as cobalt, that usually are part of the tungsten refining and compounding processes. Over long periods of time, these workers can develop lung problems, such as cough, shortness of breath, or wheezing (hard metal disease). Early research on this respiratory condition attributed these symptoms mostly to cobalt exposure instead of to tungsten exposure. In lab animals, recent research shows that cobalt and tungsten together can cause lung damage. We do not know about any studies of health problems in people who do not work with tungsten.
