Chromium (VI)

Chrome plating/anodizing, stainless-steel welding, pigment and wood-preservative production, cement, and tanneries; releases from factories and hazardous waste sites [1].

Breathing dust or fumes at work; drinking contaminated well or tap water; eating food grown in contaminated soil; skin contact with solutions or wet cement [1].

Known human carcinogen (especially lung cancer by inhalation); can cause nose/throat irritation and ulcers, asthma, stomach upset, kidney damage, and allergic skin rashes [1][2][3].

Workers in plating, welding, pigments/cement, and chrome-using industries; people near industrial sites or using contaminated private wells; those with asthma or skin allergies [1][2].

If on a private well, test for chromium (including hexavalent) and use certified treatment like reverse osmosis, distillation, or ion exchange, or use alternative water if elevated [1][4]. At work, use ventilation and PPE, follow safety rules, and avoid bringing dust home [1][5].