page_title: Toxic heavy metal
section_title: Chromium
hierarchical_section_title: Toxic heavy metal / History / Chromium
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Kristalliner Cadmium-Barren, Reinheit 99,999&#160;%. Hergestellt in einer Salzschmelze. English: A crystal cadmium bar. Purity 99.999&#160;%. Made by the flux process. Français&#160;: Un cristal de cadmium. Pureté 99,999&#160;%. Purifié à l'aide d'un Flux. Polski: pręt kadmowy. Czystość 99,999&#160;%. Türkçe:&#160;%99,999 saflıkta kadmiyum çubuk ve 1 cm3 hacminde kadminyum küp.
context_page_description: A toxic heavy metal is any relatively dense metal or metalloid that is noted for its potential toxicity, especially in environmental contexts. The term has particular application to cadmium, mercury and lead, all of which appear in the World Health Organization's list of 10 chemicals of major public concern. Other examples include manganese, chromium, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, silver, antimony and thallium.
  Heavy metals are found naturally in the earth. They become concentrated as a result of human caused activities and can enter plant, animal, and human tissues via inhalation, diet, and manual handling. Then, they can bind to and interfere with the functioning of vital cellular components. The toxic effects of arsenic, mercury, and lead were known to the ancients, but methodical studies of the toxicity of some heavy metals appear to date from only 1868. In humans, heavy metal poisoning is generally treated by the administration of chelating agents. Some elements otherwise regarded as toxic heavy metals are essential, in small quantities, for human health.
context_section_description: Chromium(III) compounds and chromium metal are not considered a health hazard, while the toxicity and carcinogenic properties of chromium(VI) have been known since at least the late 19th century. In 1890, Newman described the elevated cancer risk of workers in a chromate dye company. Chromate-induced dermatitis was reported in aircraft workers during World War II. In 1963, an outbreak of dermatitis, ranging from erythema to exudative eczema, occurred amongst 60 automobile factory workers in England. The workers had been wet-sanding chromate-based primer paint that had been applied to car bodies. In Australia, chromium was released from the Newcastle Orica explosives plant on August 8, 2011. Up to 20 workers at the plant were exposed as were 70 nearby homes in Stockton. The town was only notified three days after the release and the accident sparked a major public controversy, with Orica criticised for playing down the extent and possible risks of the leak, and the state Government attacked for their slow response to the incident.
caption: 99.999% purity cadmium bar and 1 cm3 cube.
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "Cadmium, a crystal bar", "Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS 5D Mark II", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "300", "Image YResolution": "300", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows", "Image DateTime": "2010:11:04 03:15:43", "Image Artist": "Heinrich Pniok", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image Copyright": "Copyright: Heinrich Pniok", "Image ExifOffset": "325", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1089", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "3109", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/8", "EXIF FNumber": "8", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Aperture Priority", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "200", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2010:10:31 11:55:58", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2010:10:31 11:55:58", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "3", "EXIF ApertureValue": "6", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "1/3", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "100", "EXIF SubSecTime": "00", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "00", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "00", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "5220", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "3378", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "5616000/1459", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "1872000/479", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard"}