TOXICOLOGICAL PROFILE FOR CHROMIUM - Davidborowski.com

CHROMIUM 2472. HEALTH EFFECTSchromatid exchange (Hamamy et al. 1987). Chromium trichloride also did not cause DNA damage inrats exposed in vivo (Cupo and Wetterhahn 1985), however, rats inhaling powders of chromium metalhad increased frequencies of both chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges in circulatinglymphocytes (Kaski et al. 1987). Mostly negative results have been found in in vitro genotoxicitystudies of chromium(III) compounds in bacteria (Bennicelli et al. 1983; De Flora 1981; Kanematsu et al.1980; Llagostera et al. 1986; Matsui 1980; Nishioka 1975; Olivier and Marzin 1987; Petrilli and DeFlora 1978b; Venier et al. 1982, 1989) and mammalian cell systems (Fornace et al. 1981; Itoh andShimada 1996; Le Curieux et al. 1992; Levis and Majone 1979; MacRae et al. 1979; Newbold et al.1979; Ohno et al. 1982; Raffetto et al. 1977; Sarkar et al. 1993; Sarto et al. 1980; Stella et al. 1982;Tsuda and Kato 1977; Ueno et al. 1995a; Umeda and Nishimura 1979; Whiting et al. 1979; Wise et al.1993; Yang et al. 1992). Chromium(III) did not increase the number of micronuclei in polychromaticerythrocytes in mice (Itoh and Shimada 1996). A few studies have found weakly positive results inChinese hamster ovary cells (Levis and Majone 1979), mouse fetal cells (Raffetto et al. 1977), andhuman cell lines (Nakamuro et al. 1979; Stella et al. 1982).Chromium(III) compounds are less genotoxic than chromium(VI) compounds in intact cell systemsbecause of the relative inability of chromium(III) to cross cell membranes; however, chromium(III) ismore genotoxic than chromium(VI) when tested in vitro in subcellular targets (Kolwalski et al. 1996;Snow 1991; Snow and Xu 1989). The reduction of chromium(VI) to chromium(III) as the ultimategenotoxicant within cells may account for the genotoxicity of chromium(VI) (Beyersmann and Koster1987).Additional studies in workers with known levels of chromium exposure that control for confoundingfactors would be useful for defining levels at which chromosomal aberrations occur in humans exposedto chromium(VI) in the workplace. Also, better dose-response relationships would be useful for thevarious genotoxic and regulatory effects observed with chromium to better determine which end pointsare the most sensitive and dominant at exposures near environmental levels.Reproductive Toxicity. No reliable information was located regarding reproductive effects inhumans after inhalation, oral, or dermal exposure to chromium or its compounds. Studies in womenexposed occupationally also show that chromium can be transferred to fetuses through the placenta(Shmitova 1980). A three-generation inhalation study in rats found no reproductive effects (Glaser etal. 1984). Additional inhalation studies would be useful for determining the reproductive toxicity ofinhaled chromium and compounds and for establishing exposure-response relationships. Effects on