Exposure to Chromium
Chromium is a steel gray, lustrous, hard metal extracted from chromite ores. Chromium VI (hexavalent chromium) is of principal concern because of its extreme toxicity and designation as a human carcinogen.
An estimated 558,000 workers in the United States are potentially exposed to chromium and chromium-containing compounds in the workplace. US production of chromium was estimated at 160,000 metric tons, coming almost entirely from recycling stainless steel scraps.
Some major industrial sources of hexavalent chromium are:
- chromate pigments in dyes, paints, inks, and plastics
- chromates added as anti-corrosive agents to paints, primers and other surface coatings
- chrome plating by depositing chromium metal onto an item's surface using a solution of chromic acid
- particles released during smelting of ferrochromium ore
- fumes from welding stainless steel or non-ferrous chromium alloys
- impurity present in Portland cement
Workers performing the following tasks are potentially exposed to Cr(VI). Workplace exposures occur mainly in the following task areas:
- welding and other types of hot work on stainless steel and other metals that contain chromium
- use of pigments, spray paints and coating
- operating chrome plating baths
Workplace exposure to hexavalent chromium may cause the following health effects:
- lung cancer in workers who breathe airborne hexavalent chromium
- irritation or damage to the nose, throat, and lung (respiratory tract) if hexavalent chromium is breathed at high levels
- irritation or damage to the eyes and skin if hexavalent chromium contacts these organs in high concentrations
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3-5. What is a major industrial source of hexavalent chromium?
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