Applications
Most of the Vanadium (about 80%) produced is used as ferroVanadium or as a steel
additive. Mixed with Aluminium in Titanium alloys is used in jet engines and
high speed air-frames, and steel alloys are used in axles, crankshafts, gears
and other critical components. Vanadium alloys are also used in nuclear reactors
because Vanadium has low neutron-adsorption abilities and it doesn not deform in
creeping under high temperatures.
Vanadium oxide (V2O5) is used as a catalyst in manufacturing Sulfuric acid and
maleic anhydride and in making ceramics. It is added to glass to produce green
or blue tint. Glass coated with Vanadium dioxide (VO2) can block infrared
radiation at some specific temperature.
Vanadium in the environment
Vanadium is never found unbound in nature. Vanadium occurs in about 65 different
minerals among which are patronite, vanadinite, carnotite and bauxite. Vanadium
occurs in Carbon containing deposits such as crude oil, coal, oil shale and tar
sands.
Various Vanadium ores are known but none is mined as such for the metal, which
is generally obtained as a byproducts of other ores. The largest resources of
Vanadium are to be found in South Africa and in Russia. World production of
Vanadium ore is around 45.000 tonnes a year. Production of the metal itself
comes to about 7000 tonnes per year.
Watering is an important way in which Vanadium is redistributed around the
environment because venedates are generally very soluble.
Vanadium is abundant in most soils, in variable amounts, and it is taken up by
plants at levels that reflect its availability.
In biology, a Vanadium atom is an essential component of some enzymes,
particularly the Vanadium Nitrogenase used by some Nitrogen-fixing
microorganisms.
Health effects of Vanadium
Vanadium compounds are not regarded as serious hazard, however, workers exposed
to Vanadium peroxide dust were found to suffer severe eye, nose and throat
irritation.
The uptake of Vanadium by humans mainly takes place through foodstuffs, such as
buckwheat, soya beans, olive oil, sunflower oil, apples and eggs.
Vanadium can have a number of effects on human health, when the uptake is too
high. When Vanadium uptake takes places through air it can cause bronchitis and
pneumonia.
The acute effects of Vanadium are irritation of lungs, throat, eyes and nasal
cavities.
Other Health effects of Vanadium uptake are:
- Cardiac and vascular disease
- Inflammation of stomach and intestines
- Damage to the nervous system
- Bleeding of livers and kidneys
- Skin rashes
- Severe trembling and paralyses
- Nose bleeds and throat pains
- Weakening
- Sickness and headaches
- Dizziness
- Behavioural changes
The health hazards associated with exposure to Vanadium are dependent on its
oxidation state. This product contains elemental Vanadium. Elemental Vanadium
could be oxidized to Vanadium pentoxide during welding. The pentoxide form is
more toxic than the elemental form. Chronic exposure to Vanadium pentoxide dust
and fumes may cause severe irritation of the eyes, skin, upper respiratory
tract, persistent inflammations of the trachea and bronchi, pulmonary edema, and
systemic poisoning. Signs and symptoms of overexposure include; conjunctivitis,
nasopharyngitis, cough, labored breathing, rapid heart beat, lung changes,
chronic bronchitis, skin pallor, greenish-black tongue and an allergic skin
rash.
Effects of Vanadium on the environment
Vanadium can be found in the environment in algae, plants, invertebrates, fishes
and many other species. In mussels and crabs Vanadium strongly bioaccumulates,
which can lead to concentrations of about 105 to 106 times greater than the
concentrations that are found in seawater.
Vanadium causes the inhibition of certain enzymes with animals, which has
several neurological effects. Next to the neurological effects Vanadium can
cause breathing disorders, paralyses and negative effects on the liver and
kidneys.
Laboratory tests with test animals have shown, that Vanadium can cause harm to
the reproductive system of male animals, and that it accumulates in the female
placenta.
Vanadium can cause DNA alteration in some cases, but it cannot cause cancer with
animals.