Hi. I am a machinist and a few months ago I had an incident. I think I broke off a tiny tiny cutting tool, a piece of tungsten(we call carbide) end mill possibly just below my skin on my hand. We are talking only about .015 diameter and maybe .187 long. I could see a dark mark below my skin. This endmill is used to cut carbon so I thought it could have more or less stabbed me pulled out and the carbon dust that would be on the flutes of the endmill was left it my skin. It didn t turn red, no infection or anything, or discomfort. I finally did a little self surgery yesterday and took a razor and dug out whatever was left, dust, perhaps tiny bit of the broken off tool. So my question is, with that tiny bit of tungsten just below the skin, is tungsten toxic in that form, a solid, NOT dust, which I know IS toxic?
Germany foreign body in the body, if so tiny our body has its own mechanism to throw it out by possibly building a corn or infection and burst out. So far metal toxicity is concerned, it has a little harm in your case. But I am afraid of the self surgery which has been done as it may lead to a greater amount of infection instead. Please get it examined by a surgeon and removal if possible. Take carhop this helps most welcome for further queries