Other forms of chromium are not needed by our bodies. Chromium is used for making steel and other alloys, bricks in furnaces, and dyes and pigments, and for chrome plating, leather tanning, and wood preserving. Manufacturing, disposal of products or chemicals containig chromium, or burning of fossil fuels release chromium to the air, soil, and water. Chromium particles settle from air in less than 10 days. Chromium sticks strongly to soil particles.
Small amounts move from soil to groundwater.
Fish don't take up or store chromium in their bodies. Ingesting very large amounts of chromium can cause stomach upsets and ulcers, convulsions, kidney and liver damage, and even death. We don't know if chromium harms the fetus or our ability to reproduce. Mice that ingested large amounts of chromium had reproductive problems and offspring with birth defects. Some people have allergic reactions including severe redness and swelling.