Cobalt and its compounds are on the Community Right-To-Know List.

Confirmed carcinogen with experimental neoplastigenic and tumorigenic data. Cobalt has a low toxicity by ingestion. Ingestion of soluble salts produces nausea and vomiting by local irritation. In animals, administration of cobalt salts produces an increase in the total red cell mass of the blood. In humans, a single case of poisoning with liver and kidney damage has been attributed to cobalt. Locally, cobalt has been shown to produce dermatitis and investigators have been able to demonstrate a hypersensitivity of the skin to cobalt. There have been reports of hematologic, digestive, and pulmonary changes in humans. See also specific compounds.

DFG MAK: DFG TRK: 0.5 mg/m³ calculated as cobalt in that portion of dust that can possibly be inhaled in the production of cobalt powder and catalysts; hard metal (tungsten carbide) and magnet production (processing of powder, machine pressing, and mechanical processing of unsintered articles); other cobalt alloys and compounds: 0.1 mg/m³ calculated as cobalt in that portion of dust that can possibly be inhaled. Animal Carcinogen, Suspected Human Carcinogen.