Chromium Allergy

By Dr Liji Thomas, MD

Chromium is a metal that is widely used in several industries. It is also one of the most common metal allergens. Chromium is found in leather, cement, and other sources in the immediate household environment.

Both the trivalent and the hexavalent chromium ions are responsible for eliciting dermatitis at low concentrations. Hexavalent chromium can penetrate the skin unlike Cr(III), which makes it a more potent sensitizing agent.

The chromate (III) ion which is used in the tanning of leather has been identified in 95 percent of leather footwear products, at concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 3 percent, with a median content of 1.7 percent. Traces of chromate (VI) are also present, and are formed by the oxidation of chromium (III).

Chromium is also found in soil. However, concentrations of the chromate (VI) ion up to 450 ppm and of the chromate(III) ion up to 65,000 ppm are not considered to be risk factors for chromium-induced allergic contact dermatitis.

Household and detergent items also often contain chromium, but they are not considered to be a risk factor for chromium allergy...

FULL TEXT

Source: