Chapter 16 Chromium

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the toxicological and environmental significance of Chromium (Cr). Chromium is a common contaminant of the human environment. Possible sources of chromium exposure to the general public are emissions and waste dumps from the industry, causing local air and water pollution. Emissions from fossil-fuel burning also contribute to the atmospheric load. The presence of chromium in phosphates and in municipal sewage sludge used as fertilizers is an important source of Cr in soil, in water, and in some foods. Cr is also a common constituent of laboratory ware and even of ultrapure acids. Freezing and diverse drying techniques are common practice to keep the integrity of the specimens. Some common analytical methods used in the determination of chromium in biological materials are surveyed. The criteria evaluated include precision, sensitivity, specificity, and speed of analysis. The graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) is the most prevalent technique. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) is superseded by GFAAS. Some other methods includes inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), neutron activation analysis (NAA), chelate gas chromatography (GC), isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS), X-ray methods such as particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and electrochemistry.