The effect of diet on the toxicity of vanadium.

Five experiments were conducted with growing chicks to determine the effectiveness of various materials in modifying the toxicity of vanadium. The toxicity of vanadium (as it is measured by growth depression and mortality) was much greater when vanadium was added to a semipurified diet than when it was added to a practical diet containing natural ingredients. When EDTA was added to diets containing 50 to 200 p.p.m. vanadium, the growth depression was reduced from 22.1% and 75.9% to 8.4% and 36.7% respectively, and the mortality was reduced from 80% to 20% among chicks fed 200 p.p.m. vanadium. The addition of 10% lactose to a diet containing 100 p.p.m. vanadium increased the growth depression from 41% to 76.2% and caused 80% mortality. Chromium added to diets containing 100 and 200 p.p.m. vanadium improved the growth and reduced the mortality.