Occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium. Part II. Hazard assessment of carcinogenic effects

Abstract

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) compounds have been studied extensively and several agencies have described their toxicological profile. In the past, personnel of the Dutch Ministry of Defence may have been exposed to Cr(VI) during maintenance activities on NATO equipment. To investigate if this exposure may have caused irreversible adverse health effects, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) summarized all available knowledge from previous evaluations. This information was complemented with a scoping review to retrieve new scientific literature. All scientific evidence was evaluated in workshops with external experts to come to an overview of irreversible adverse health effects that could be caused by occupational exposure to Cr(VI) compounds. This review provides the hazard assessment for occupational exposure to Cr(VI) and carcinogenic effects by integrating and weighting evidence provided by international agencies complemented with newly published studies. It was concluded that occupational exposure to Cr(VI) can cause lung cancer, nose and nasal sinus cancer in humans. Cr(VI) is suspected to cause stomach cancer and laryngeal cancer in humans. It is currently insufficiently clear if Cr(VI) can cause cancer of the small intestine, oral cavity, pancreas, prostate or bladder in humans.

Keywords: Chromium; Hazard assessment; Hexavalent chromium; occupational exposure.