Chromium

NIOSH Resources

NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
Exposure limits, Respirator Recommendations, First Aid, more...
The Pocket Guide is a source of general industrial hygiene information on several hundred chemicals/classes found in the work environment. Key data provided for each chemical/substance includes name (including synonyms/trade names), structure/formula, CAS/RTECS Numbers, DOT ID, conversion factors, exposure limits, IDLH, chemical and physical properties, measurement methods, personal protection, respirator recommendations, symptoms, and first aid.

• Chromium(II) compounds (as Cr)
• Chromium(III) compounds (as Cr)
• Chromium Metal (CAS No. 7440-47-3)
• Chromic acid and chromates (CAS No. 1333-82-0)

International Chemical Safety Cards
An ICSC summarizes essential health and safety information on chemicals for their use at the "shop floor" level by workers and employers in factories, agriculture, construction and other work places.

• Chromium
• Chromium (III) chloride (anhydrous)
• Chromium (III) chloride Hexahydrate
• Chromium dioxide
• Chromium (III) hydroxide hydrate
• Chromium hydroxide sulfate
• Chromium (III) nitrate nonahydrate
• Chromium (III) oxide
• Chromium (VI) oxide

Documentation for Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
The IDLH documents the criteria and information sources that have been used by NIOSH to determine immediately dangerous to life or health concentrations.

• Chromium(II) compounds [as Cr(II)]
• Chromium(III) compounds [as Cr(III)]
• Chromium metal (as Cr)
• Chromic acid and Chromates

NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM)
NMAM is a collection of methods for sampling and analysis of contaminants in workplace air, and in the blood and urine of workers who are occupationally exposed.

• Hexavalent Chromium by Ion Chromatography (No. 7605) [PDF - 102 KB]
• Hexavalent Chromium by Field-Portable Spectrophotometry (No. 7703) [PDF - 109 KB]
• Chromium and cpds, as Cr (No. 7024) [PDF - 20 KB]
• Chromium Elements by ICP (No. 7300) [PDF - 117 KB]
• Chromium, Hexavalent in settled dust (No. 9101) [PDF - 7 KB]

Health Hazard Evaluations
NIOSH conducts Health Hazard Evaluations (HHEs) to find out whether there are health hazards to employees caused by exposures or conditions in the workplace.

Some recent HHE reports related to Chromium have been listed below. For a comprehensive listing of HHE reports please search the HHE Database.

• Health Hazard Evaluation Report, HETA- 2003-0328-2935, CPC Pasadena Plastics Complex, Pasadena, TX.PDF only [PDF - 387 KB]

NIOSH Safety and Health Topic: Hexavalent Chromium

NIOSH Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2013-128

Occupational Health Guidelines for Chemical Hazards
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 81-123 (January 1981)

• Chromium Metal [PDF - 275 KB]
• Chromium (III) Compounds [PDF - 262 KB]

Related Resources

Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR) - ToxFAQs: Chromium

Toxicological Profile for Chromium (ATSDR)

OSHA Safety and Health Topic: Hexavalent Chromium

OSHA Fact Sheet: Hexavalent Chromium

New Jersey Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets: Chromium

EPA (Air Toxics): Chromium

EPA (Drinking Water): Chromium

EPA (Drinking Water): Hexavalent Chromium

Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) (EPA): Chromium (III)

Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) (EPA): Chromium (VI)

NLM (Hazardous Substance Data Bank): Chromium Metal

NLM (Haz-Map): Chromium Metal

European Chemical Substance Information System (ESIS): Chromium Metal

WHO (Environmental Health Criteria 61): Chromium