Comments
In the occupational setting, contact dermatitis and ulcerations of the skin and nasal mucosa are the most commonly reported effects of chronic chromium exposure. [LaDou, p. 469-70] Hexavalent compounds are 500-1000 times more toxic than trivalent compounds. [Nordberg, p. 718] Occupational asthma has been confirmed in a printer, a tanner, a cement floorer, and in platers and welders exposed to chromates. [Malo] "Inhalation of chromium mist, dust, or fumes can produce acute bronchoconstriction, probably through a direct irritant mechanism. Chronic bronchitis and persistent abnormalities in pulmonary function have not been described following cessation of exposure. Allergic asthma due to chromium is uncommon, with fewer than two dozen cases documented in the published literature." [Rosenstock, p. 959] Nasal ulcers and perforations are fairly common in electroplating workers exposed to chromic acid mist. [Castano R, Theriault G, Gautrin D. Categorizing Nasal Septal Perforations of Occupational Origin as Cases of Corrosive Rhinitis. Am J Ind Med. 2007 Feb;50(2):150-3]