TOXICOLOGICAL PROFILE FOR CHROMIUM - Davidborowski.com

CHROMIUM 3095. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSUREadjacent to chromium-contaminated sites in Hudson County, New Jersey (Bukowski et al. 1991). Thechromium levels in red blood cells and urine of 17 of these employees showed no differences comparedto 36 employees who worked at state parks outside Hudson County. The authors concluded that urinaryand blood levels of chromium are poor biological markers in gauging low-level environmental exposureto chromium. This study also concluded that chromium levels in blood and urine depended on otherconfounding variables, such as exercise, past employment in a chromium-exposed occupation, beerdrinking, and diabetic status. Other lifestyle (e.g., smoking), dietary, or demographic factors had nomeasurable effect on blood and urinary chromium. These conclusions are consistent with the results of arecent study that measured the urinary excretion of chromium following oral ingestion of chromite oreprocessing residue material for three days (Finley and Paustenbach 1997). These results indicate nostatistical difference in mean urinary chromium concentrations in groups of individuals exposed tochromite ore processing residue material versus the control group. High levels of chromium weredetected in the urine and hair of individuals living near a chromite ore-processing plant in Mexico(Rosas et al. 1989), and does suggest the possibility of using these media as biological markers ingauging long term high-level environmental exposure to chromium.Elevated levels of chromium in blood, serum, urine, and other tissues and organs have been observed inpatients with cobalt-chromium knee and hip arthroplasts (Coleman et al. 1973; Michel et al. 1987;Sunderman et al. 1989).The chromium content in cigarette tobacco from the United States has been reported to be0.24–6.3 mg/kg (IARC 1980), but neither the chemical form nor the amount of chromium in tobaccosmoke is known. People who use tobacco products may be exposed to higher than normal levels ofchromium.5.8 ADEQUACY OF THE DATABASESection 104(i)(5) of CERCLA, as amended, directs the Administrator of ATSDR (in consultation withthe Administrator of EPA and agencies and programs of the Public Health Service) to assess whetheradequate information on the health effects of chromium is available. Where adequate information is notavailable, ATSDR, in conjunction with the National Toxicology Program (NTP), is required to assurethe initiation of a program of research designed to determine the health effects (and techniques fordeveloping methods to determine such health effects) of chromium.