Toxicity of Chromium

For our bodies to function normally, we require various nutrients and minerals including chromium. Chromium performs many functions in the human body, such as it helps in the catabolism of fats and carbohydrates, it maintains the blood glucose levels in the body thus helping the diabetics and lastly, it prevents high blood pressure by increasing the production of good cholesterol and fatty acids.

Chromium is found in two forms, namely chromium (III), also known as trivalent chromium and chromium (VI), known as hexavalent chromium. Chromium (III) can be found in various foods such as sweet potato, brewer's yeast, corn, whole grains, beef, liver, poultry, turkey, liver, oysters, shellfish and certain vegetables and fruit, such as spinach, garlic, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, apple, banana and orange. Eating foods containing chromium (III) is necessary to keep the body healthy. However, chromium (VI), which does not occur naturally but is generated due to industrial pollution, is toxic and can have many harmful effects on the human body. Below are the symptoms and effects, that chromium toxicity can produce in a person.

Chromium Toxicity in Humans

It is mostly industrial workers who suffer from this toxicity. Chromium (VI) can enter the body of the workers if they are involved in tasks such as production of chemicals like chromic acid, chrome electroplating, welding chrome alloys, welding stainless steel and applying paints which contain chromate. Here are the harmful effects of toxicity of chromium.

• Some of the commonly observed side effects are irritation in the nose, bleeding from the nose, running nose and sometimes even ulcers or holes may develop in the nasal septum.
• The affected person might experience an upset stomach or sometimes stomach ulcers can develop too.
• If the skin comes in contact with some chromium (VI) compounds, it can lead to skin ulcers. Skin allergies can develop in some people leading to skin rashes, redness, itching and swelling in the affected area.
• Chromium toxicity can cause respiratory problems such as difficulty in breathing and coughing and may lead to bronchitis or asthma.
• If a person ingests a huge amount of hexavalent chromium, it can lead to severe toxicity in him, causing life-threatening health conditions and diseases such as kidney damage, convulsions, liver damage, and in some cases even death.
• According to several studies conducted on animals, it was concluded that exposure to chromium (VI) can increase the incidence of lung cancer. Renowned organizations such as World health Organization (WHO) and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) have recognized that chromium (VI) can cause cancer and hence is a human carcinogen.

As can be seen from above, the toxic effects of chromium can produce many harmful reactions in the body. And, to make things worse, there has still been no proven or effective treatment or remedy devised to cure this. The treatment mostly entails removing the person from any further chromium exposure and giving the body time to naturally clear itself of the hazardous metal. In case the toxicity is severe, there is nothing much that can be done to cure a person. So, taking certain precautions, such as wearing proper clothing and using appropriate equipment while working in proximity to chromium (VI) is the only solution to save oneself from chromium toxicity.