Most people, when they think of chrome or chromium, think of the silver shine on the bumper of older cars. However, though most of this chromium has been replaced with veneer, the metal is still used in manufacturing and can be dangerous when ingested in excessive amounts.
Chromium can have a valance of anywhere from -2 to +6 which means it combines easily with other elements. It usually, however, combines with a valance of +6 (as in K2Cr04 potassium chromate) or +3 (as in CrCl3 chromium chloride). Valance is the charge it takes in combining with elements to form compounds.
Chromium has been used in a variety of ways in manufacturing. For example, it is used in the manufacture of catalysts, paints, fungicides, glass, and ceramics, in leather tanning, in photography, and in chrome plating. For many years the yellow school buses were painted with lead chromate (PbCrO4) because the color was bright and didn’t fade. However, because of information given below (it is a chromium VI compound), the paint has been replaced with safer pigments.
Chromium gets into the air through aerosols but precipitation easily removes it. Rain contains only a trace – generally less than a microgram – of chrome per liter. However, chrome in water is a different story. Note this: surface water may contain two micrograms of chromium per liter. Groundwater is even less at perhaps one microgram/liter. However, near plants using chromium in their manufacturing as much as 40 to 80 micrograms/liter have been found. Though it is true that most of our intake of chromium is in the food we eat, it is also true that nearly 10% can come in our water.
Chromium is certainly not all bad. In fact, Chromium (III) is important to our bodies to help us use sugar, protein, and fat. At least 50–200 µg of chromium (III) each day is recommended for adults. Without it, we may suffer from weight loss, decreased growth, improper functioning of the nervous system, and a condition similar to diabetes. For this reason, chromium (III) compounds have been used as dietary supplements and benefit us when taken moderately. Excessive amounts even of helpful chromium (III), can harm the body.
However, other forms of chromium, especially chromium (VI) can be harmful. “Calcium chromate, chromium trioxide, lead chromate, strontium chromate, and zinc chromate are known human carcinogens. An increase in the incidence of lung cancer has been observed among workers in industries that produce chromate and manufacture pigments containing chromate.” - Dr. Robert Jackson
Here are some other problems related to excessive intake of chromium: liver problems (elevated hepatic enzymes), renal failure (kidney failure), hemolysis (breakdown of red blood cells), thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets), changes in thought processes, chest pain, gastrointestinal disorders, erythema/flushing/rash, headache, dizziness, agitation, and rhabdomyolysis (breakdown of muscle fibers that can lead to kidney damage).
Chromium, like other heavy metals, may have other negative effects we do not yet know about. How much chromium (VI) do you take in each day? I checked our city water quality report but chromium was not on the list. Hopefully a safe level has been set. But our family purchased an activated charcoal filter, called the Berkey Light, for our drinking and cooking water, just to be on the safe side. This filter, one of the most popular of the Berkey Water Filter line, removes 95% of the heavy metals, including chromium, from our water. Now we are confident that we are not placing our family at risk with contamination of these heavy metal toxins.
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Tags: chromium information, chromium side effects, chromium toxicity
