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Page last reviewed: 03/23/2012
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Hexavalent Chromium
Chromium hexavalent (Cr(VI)) compounds, often called hexavalent chromium, exist in several forms. Industrial uses of hexavalent chromium compounds include chromate pigments in dyes, paints, inks, and plastics; chromates added as anticorrosive agents to paints, primers, and other surface coatings; and chromic acid electroplated onto metal parts to provide a decorative or protective coating. Hexavalent chromium can also be formed when performing "hot work" such as welding on stainless steel or melting chromium metal. In these situations the chromium is not originally hexavalent, but the high temperatures involved in the process result in oxidation that converts the chromium to a hexavalent state.
OSHA Standards
Exposures to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) are addressed in specific standards for general industry, rules concerning OSHA access to employee medical reports, shipyard employment, marine terminals, and the construction industry. This section highlights OSHA standards, Federal Registers (rules, proposed rules, and notices), directives (instructions for compliance officers), and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to Cr(VI). Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.
General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
Rules Concerning OSHA Access to Employee Medical Records (29 CFR 1913)
- 1913.10, Rules of agency practice and procedure concerning OSHA access to employee medical records
Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)
Marine Terminals (29 CFR 1917)
Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)
Federal Registers
- Revising the Notification Requirements in the Exposure Determination Provisions of the Hexavalent Chromium Standards. OSHA Federal Register, Final Rule 75:27188-27189, (2010, May 14).
- Revising the Notification Requirements in the Exposure Determination Provisions of the Hexavalent Chromium Standard. Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Hexavalent Chromium Standards; Notification Requirements in the Exposure Determination Provisions. OSHA Federal Register 75:12485-12409 [2010-5731] and Direct Final Rule Hexavalent Chromium Standards; Notification Requirements in the Exposure Determination Provisions. OSHA Federal Register 12681-12686 [2010-5734], (published March 16, 2010 and March 17, 2010, respectively). By these notices, OSHA amends the current standard to include employee notification of exposure determination regardless of exposure levels.
- Occupational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium. Final Rules 71:63238-63245, (2006, October 30). Also available as an 86 KB PDF, 8 pages. Implements a settlement agreement entered into by OSHA, the Surface Finishing Industry Council (SFIC), Public Citizen Health Research Group, and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union on October 25, 2006, to resolve SFIC's legal challenge to the standard.
- Occupational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium; Corrections. Notice 71:36008-36010, (2006, June 23). Corrects errors in the final rule addressing occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium that appeared in the Federal Register on February 28, 2006.
- Occupational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium. Final Rules 71:10099-10385, (2006, February 28). Also available as an 11 MB PDF, 287 pages. OSHA establishes three separate standards covering occupational exposures to Cr(VI) for: general industry (29 CFR 1910.1026); shipyards (29 CFR 1915.1026), and construction (29 CFR 1926.1126).
- Occupational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium; Proposed Rule. Proposed Rules 69:59305-59474, (2004, October 4). OSHA proposes to amend its existing standard for employee exposure to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)).
- Search all available Federal Registers.
Directives
Standard Interpretations
Health Effects
Workers in many different occupations are exposed to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). Occupational exposures occur mainly among workers who handle pigments containing dry chromate, spray paints and coatings containing chromate, operate chrome plating baths, and weld or cut metals containing chromium, such as stainless steel. Workers who breathe hexavalent chromium compounds at their jobs for many years may be at increased risk of developing lung cancer. Breathing high levels of hexavalent chromium can irritate or damage the nose, throat, and lungs. Irritation or damage to the eyes and skin can occur if hexavalent chromium contacts these organs in high concentrations or for a prolonged period of time. The following references aid in recognizing hazards and the health effects associated with hexavalent chromium in the workplace.
- Health Effects of Hexavalent Chromium [24 KB PDF*, 2 pages]. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2006, July). Provides a concise list of industrial sources, symptoms and health effects of exposure to hexavalent chromium, and OSHA requirements for the protection of employees.
- Chromic acid and chromates. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (1994, May). Provides an Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) document that includes acute toxicity data for chromic acid and chromates.
- TOXNET for Chromium Compounds. The National Library of Medicine Hazardous Substance Database.
- Report on Carcinogens (ROC). US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Toxicology Program (NTP). Identifies and discusses agents, substances, mixtures, or exposure circumstances that may pose a health hazard due to their carcinogenicity. The listing of substances in the RoC only indicates a potential hazard and does not establish the exposure conditions that would pose cancer risks to individuals.
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks for Humans [532 KB PDF, 22 pages]. World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Classification: Carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).
- Toxicological Profile for Chromium. Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), (2008, September). Characterizes the toxicological and adverse health effects information regarding chromium.
- ToxFAQs for Chromium. Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), (2008, September). Answers the most frequently asked health questions about chromium.
- Public Health Statement for Chromium. Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), (2008, September). Describes chromium and its effects on humans.
- Chromium (VI) (CASRN 18540-29-9). Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), (1998, September 3). Lists human health effects that may result from exposure to various substances found in the environment.
- Toxicological Review of Hexavalent Chromium [1 MB PDF, 77 pages]. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) No. 18540-29-9, (1998, August). Provides scientific support and rationale for the hazard identification and dose-response assessment in the integrated risk information system (IRIS) pertaining to chronic exposure to hexavalent chromium.
- Chromic Trioxide. [154 KB PDF, 7 pages]. New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet, (1998, April). Provides a summary source of information of all potential and most severe health hazards that may result from chromic trioxide exposure.
- Chromium Compounds. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Lists chromium compounds as a Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) under the National Emissions Standard Hazardous Air Pollutants section of its Clean Air Act.
- International Chemical Safety Cards: Chromium (VI) Oxide. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (2004, October 27). Summarizes essential health and safety information on chromium (VI) oxide.
Cancer
All forms of hexavalent chromium are regarded as carcinogenic to workers. The risk of developing lung cancer increases with the amount of hexavalent chromium inhaled and the length of time the worker is exposed. Studies of workers in chromate production, chromate pigment, and chrome electroplating industries employed before the 1980s show increased rates of lung cancer mortality. Certain hexavalent chromium compounds produced lung cancer in animals that had the compounds placed directly in their lungs.
Eyes
Direct eye contact with chromic acid or chromate dusts can cause permanent eye damage.
Respiratory Tract
Hexavalent chromium can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs. Repeated or prolonged exposure can damage the mucous membranes of the nasal passages and result in ulcers. In severe cases, exposure causes perforation of the septum (the wall separating the nasal passages). Breathing small amounts of hexavalent chromium even for long periods does not cause respiratory tract irritation in most people. Some employees become allergic to hexavalent chromium so that inhaling the chromate compounds can cause asthma symptoms such as wheezing and shortness of breath.
Skin
Prolonged skin contact can result in dermatitis and skin ulcers. Some workers develop an allergic sensitization to chromium. In sensitized workers, contact with even small amounts can cause a serious skin rash.
- Preventing Skin Problems From Working with Portland Cement. OSHA Guidance, (2008, February). Provides information about persistent skin rash caused by trace amounts of hexavalent chromium present in portland cement. It has been reported that skin contact from working with wet portland cement can lead to allergic and irritant forms of dermatitis.
- A Safety and Health Practioner's Guide to Skin Protection. Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health (eCLOSH), (2000). Includes illustrations of dry skin, irritant contact dermatitis (ICD), allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), and cement burns.
NOTE: The aforementioned toxicology comes from the Documentation of the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs), American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), 6th Edition, Volume 1, and from the references listed above.
Exposure Evaluation
Occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium can occur from inhalation of dusts, mists, or fumes containing hexavalent chromium, or from eye or skin contact with hexavalent chromium. The following references provide information on exposure limits and analytical methods used to evaluate hexavalent chromium exposure.
- Chemical Sampling Information. OSHA, (1999, January 14). Presents, in concise form, data on a large number of chemical substances that may be encountered in industrial hygiene investigations. Basic reference for industrial hygienists engaged in OSHA field activity.
- OSHA Occupational Chemical Database. OSHA maintains this chemical database as a convenient reference for the occupational safety and health community. It compiles information from several government agencies and organizations. This database originally was developed by OSHA in cooperation with EPA.
Analytical Methods
OSHA
OSHA has developed and validated methods for use by the Salt Lake Technical Center (SLTC) laboratory. The following method has been adopted by many laboratories for the analysis of chemical compounds.
- Hexavalent Chromium. Method W-4001, (2001, April). Describes the procedures for wipe sampling of hexavalent chromium.
- Hexavalent Chromium in Workplace Atmospheres. Method ID-215, (1998, June). Also available as a 319 KB PDF, 35 pages. Describes the sample collection and analysis of airborne hexavalent chromium.
- For air sampling, the recommended method is ID-215, version 2 (see below). The original June, 1998, method is still listed as it contains sections still applicable for wipe and bulk sampling of materials to analyze for hexavalent chromium.
- The original June, 1998, method lists a proposed OSHA PEL for Cr(VI) of 0.5 ug/m3 and AL of 0.25 ug/m3, but these were not issued in the final rule [OSHA Federal Register Final Rules 71:10099-10385].
- Hexavalent Chromium. Method ID-215 (Version 2), (2006, April).
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- Chromium, Hexavalent by Ion Chromatography [102 KB PDF, 3 pages]. Method No. 7605, (2003, March 15). Describes the sample collection and analysis of hexavalent chromium. This method is similar to OSHA Method ID-215.
- Chromium, Hexavalent by Field-Portable Spectrophotometry [104 KB PDF, 5 pages]. Method No. 7703, (2003, March 15). Describes Method No. 7703 as a field portable method of analysis of hexavalent chromium.
- Chromium, Hexavalent, In Settled Dust Samples [8 KB PDF, 1 page]. Method No. 9101, (1996, May 15). Describes an estimation of the soluble hexavalent chromium content of settled dust.
- Chromium, Hexavalent [24 KB PDF, 4 pages]. Method No. 7600, (1994, August 15). Describes sampling and analysis of airborne hexavalent chromium.
- Chromium, Hexavalent. Method No. 7604, (1994, August 15). Indicates this method is less sensitive than method 7600 (colorimetric), but it contains fewer sample preparation steps.
Possible Solutions
There are several ways to reduce exposure to hexavalent chromium. Recommended controls vary from operation to operation. The preferred approach is to use engineering controls such as ventilation or equipment and process modification. If these controls are not sufficient, other controls may be implemented, including the use of respirators, eye protection, showering, and changing into street clothes before leaving the plant. The following references provide possible solutions for hexavalent chromium hazards in the workplace.
- Preventing Skin Problems from Working with Portland Cement. OSHA, (2008). Employees may suffer dermal hazards in working with wet cement such as cement burns (due to its caustic nature) and inflammation of the skin (either due to irritant or allergic contact dermatitis). This guidance addresses ways to prevent or minimize skin problems through the proper selection and use of gloves, boots and other personal protective equipment such as kneepads; proper skin care and work practices such as use of pH neutral or slightly acidic soaps; and ways of making cement products less hazardous.
- Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Hexavalent Chromium Standards [286 KB PDF*, 63 pages]. OSHA Publication 3320, (2006). Includes guidance on regulated areas, methods of control, respiratory protection, protective work clothing and equipment, hygiene areas and practices, housekeeping, medical surveillance, communication of hazards to employees, recordkeeping covered by the new standards and an extensive appendix of industry operations or processes associated with occupational exposure to Cr(VI).
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2005-149, (2007, September). Provides physical description, exposure limits, measurement method, personal protection & sanitation, first aid, respirator recommendations, exposure routes, symptoms, target organs, and cancer sites.
- Occupational Health Guidelines for Chemical Hazards. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (1981, January). Contains information on identification, physical and chemical properties, health hazards, exposure limits, exposure sources and control methods, monitoring, personal hygiene, storage, spills and leaks, and personal protective equipment.
- Hexavalent Chromium. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety and Health Topic. Includes NIOSH comments in response to OSHA's request for Information, NIOSH databases, resources, health hazard evaluations and other related safety and health topics.
Welding
- Felker Brothers Corporation, Marshfield [377 KB PDF, 24 pages]. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Report No. HETA 2003-0114-2924, (2004, January). Evaluation of worker exposures to chromium and other metals during manufacture of stainless steel products and fabricated piping systems.
Autobody Repair
- Control of Dusts From Sanding in Autobody Repair Shops. US Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-105.
- Control of Paint Overspray in Autobody Repair Shops. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-106.
- In-Depth Survey Report: Control Technology for Autobody Repair and Painting Shops at Team Chevrolet Colorado Springs, Colorado. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Report ECTB 179-18a, (1993, December). Evaluates the ability of three cross draft spray painting booths to control exposure to air contaminants, including chromium.
- In-Depth Survey Report: Control Technology for Autobody Repair and Painting Shops at Cincinnati Collision Autobody Shop. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Report ECTB 179-16a, (1993, September). Evaluates the ability of several types of equipment to reduce worker exposure to air contaminants, including chromium.
- Control technology for Autobody Repair and Painting Shops at Kay Parks/Dan Meyer Autorebuild Tacoma, Washington. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Report ECTB 179-12a, (1992, September). Provides a study of orbital and in-line sanders with built-in high-velocity, low volume exhaust hoods.
For additional information on general safety and health concerns, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Page on:
Additional Information
Related Safety and Health Topics Pages
Other Resources
- Hazardous Substance Data Bank (HSDB). National Library of Medicine (NLM), Specialized Information Services (SIS). Provides access to a cluster of databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, and related areas.
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