[Physical and chemical properties of vanadium and its compounds]

Vanadium is present in the earth crust mainly in the heavy oils, carbons and bituminous materials, where is associated with the heavy fractions. Many live beings have vanadium in their tissues. Their industrial applications are fundamentally based in the physical and chemical properties. From the environmental point of view the vanadium emissions to the atmosphere are produced in areas around siderurgical industries, oil refineries and cities that use fossil fuels for heating. The pollution process in these areas is associated partially with the presence of vanadium compounds, as is the case in the eastern coast of the lake of Maracaibo, Venezuela. Some clinical-epidemiological researches report a high incidence of congenital malformations at the Central Nervous System level, and this has been associated with the intense oil activities of the region. The high incidence of the Central Nervous System congenital malformations could be associated with the vanadium compounds present in the eastern coast of the lake of Maracaibo; here is the interest in the physical and chemical properties knowledge of vanadium and their compounds.