Copper carcinogenicity

Most of the compounds of arsenic are toxic when in contact with the skin, when inhaled, or when ingested. As with arsenics cousin phosphorus above it in group 15 of the periodic table, care must be taken when using arsenic. The compound arsenic trioxide (As O ), an excellent weed-killer, is also carcinogenic. Copper acetoarsenite, known as Paris green, is used to spray cotton for boll weevils. A poisonous dose of arsenic as small as 60 miUigrams can be detected within the body by using the Marsh test. 

The search is on for catalysts to replace those containing toxic heavy metals. The addition of hydrogen chloride to acetylene to form vinyl chloride is catalyzed by mercuric chloride. Rhodium (III) chloride on activated carbon works just as well and is much less toxic 97 It should be tried also in other addition reactions of acetylene as well as in trans-esteriflcation reactions of vinyl acetate. The reduction of 2 ethyl-2-hexenal to 2-ethylhexanol can be catalyzed by a mixture of copper, zinc, manganese, and aluminum oxides in 100% yield.98 This is said to be a replacement for carcinogenic copper chromite. In Reaction 4.15, the amount of toxic chromium(II) chloride has been reduced from stoichiometric to catalytic (9-15 mol% chromium(II) chloride) by the addition of manganese metal.99... 

Muller et al. have also examined the enantioselectivity and the stereochemical course of copper-catalyzed intramolecular CH insertions of phenyl-iodonium ylides [34]. The decomposition of diazo compounds in the presence of transition metals leads to typical reactions for metal-carbenoid intermediates, such as cyclopropanations, insertions into X - H bonds, and formation of ylides with heteroatoms that have available lone pairs. Since diazo compounds are potentially explosive, toxic, and carcinogenic, the number of industrial applications is limited. Phenyliodonium ylides are potential substitutes for diazo compounds in metal-carbenoid reactions. Their photochemical, thermal, and transition-metal-catalyzed decompositions exhibit some similarities to those of diazo compounds. 

The release of heavy metals into the environment presents a serious threat. Over recent decades, the annual worldwide release of heavy metals reached 22,000 T for cadmium, 939,000 T for copper, 783,000 T for lead, and 1,350,000 T for zinc.3 Because of their high solubility in the aquatic environments, heavy metals can be absorbed by living organisms and enter the food chain.6 Exposure to high levels of these metals has been linked to cytotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic effects on... 

Gilman JPW. 1962. Metal carcinogenesis. 11. A study on the carcinogenic activity of cobalt, copper, iron and nickel compounds. Cancer Res 22 159-162. 

Electronic devices can also generate electromagnetic and radio frequency interference waves that can interfere with other electronic devices. These waves must be modulated and leakage to the environment prevented. Plastics, silicones, acrylics, and polyesters (qv) that are filled with conductive fillers, such as silver, nickel, and copper, are used for this application (1). Although nickel-filled polymers are low cost and efficient, these are not preferred because of the carcinogenic nature of nickel powder. 

---