Chromium Protection - How does the federal government protect me?

The federal government develops regulations and recommendations to protect public health. Regulations can be enforced by law. Federal agencies that develop regulations for toxic substances include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Recommendations provide valuable guidelines to protect public health but cannot be enforced by law. Federal organizations that develop recommendations for toxic substances include the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Regulations and recommendations can be expressed in not-to-exceed levels in air, water, soil, or food that are usually based on levels that affect animals; then they are adjusted to help protect people. Sometimes these not-to-exceed levels differ among federal organizations because of different exposure times (an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour day), the use of different animal studies, or other factors.

Recommendations and regulations are also periodically updated as more information becomes available. For the most current information, check with the federal agency or organization that provides it. Some regulations and recommendations for chromium include the following:

EPA has set the maximum level of chromium(III) and chromium(VI) allowed in drinking water at 100 µg chromium/L. According to EPA, the following levels of chromium(III) and chromium(VI) in drinking water are not expected to cause effects that are harmful to health: 1,400 µg chromium/L for 10 days of exposure for children, 240 µg chromium/L for longer term exposure for children, 840 µg chromium/L for longer term exposure for adults, and 120 µg chromium/L for lifetime exposure of adults.

OSHA regulates chromium levels in the workplace air. The occupational exposure limits for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek are 500 µg chromium/m³ for water-soluble chromic (chromium(III)) or chromous [chromium(II)] salts and 1,000 µg chromium/m³ for metallic chromium (chromium(0)), and insoluble salts. The level of chromium trioxide (chromic acid) and other chromium(VI) compounds in the workplace air should not be higher than 52 µg chromium(VI)/m³ for any period of time.

For chromium(0), chromium(II), and chromium(III), NIOSH recommends an exposure limit of 500 µg chromium/m³ for a 10-hour workday, 40-hour workweek. NIOSH considers all chromium(VI) compounds (including chromic acid) to be potential occupational carcinogens and recommends an exposure limit of 1 µg chromium(VI)/m³ for a 10-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.

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Federal Action

Chromium Protection - How does the federal government protect me?
Chromium Protection - The federal government develops recommendations.

Medical Tests

Medical tests to determine whether you have been exposed to chromium
Exposure to Chromium is measured in hair, urine, serum and blood cells

Resource Center

Chromium Resource Center
Hexavalent Chromium water pollution & chromium land fill contamination information resources