Table of Contents
Chromium (Cr) in Water
A technical paper by Olympian Water Testing specialists
Chromium in Water
Chromium is a hard steel-gray metal that occurs naturally in three generalized types: Chromium 0 used for steel and Chromium III and VI, also used in large amounts for the production of chrome-plated pigments, paper, cement, leather tanning, paint and wood preservatives [1]. Organic chromium comes as an ore in chromite, rich in oxygen, chromium III and other metals [2]. You can see it naturally in water, air, rock, gases, soil, animals and even volcanic ash. But chromium III is also found in trace quantities in yeast, grains, vegetables, meat, and fruit, and is a staple of human nutrition. Meanwhile, chromium 0 and VI is industrial. They are in the environment which is bad storage, waste, leakage. Chromium VI gets released into the environment as chromium deposits are being eroded [2].
We want to educate you on chromium in water, what health risks it poses, how to prevent health hazards, and how to avoid exposing yourself to chromium.
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Can Chromium Affect Human Health?
The human body is a good source of chromium III which is used to breakdown and use protein, sugar, and fat [3]. Moreover, there is some proof that trivalent chromium could be an antioxidant [4].
The human body is made of 0.03 ppm chromium, it’s just up to your feeding habits. : This can be any dosage between 15-200g-1mg. Placenta took up the most chromium among organs, so there were questions about what it did to the foetus. It has been suggested that chromium can harm developing embryos during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, the most delicate period in pregnancy due to foetal organ development [5].
The chromium II works with insulin to help the cells absorb glucose and reduce fat [6]. And, thus, a lack of chromium could lead to diabetes symptoms.
chromium VI is both bad for the health and the environment as it is more poisonous than chromium III. It’s also cancerous and can cause asthma and allergic reactions. Diarrhoea, stomach and intestinal bleeding, cramps are a few symptoms of high chromium VI. Such chromium toxicity symptoms are mostly due to organ failure with chromium elements becoming insoluble in the liver, spleen, soft tissue and bone [6]. Thus, the toxic people of chromium have the following symptoms, based on the affected organs:
Liver damage
Kidney issues
Nerve tissue damage
Allergic dermatitis
Stomach and lung cancer
Since chromium is found in different forms, the health impact of toxicity also depends on what form you’re in contact with. Soluble chromium aerosols might be health-related differently from insoluble ones. To name just one, insoluble chromium VI compounds damage the lower respiratory system. Chromium VI trioxide, on the other hand, is insoluble and it essentially harms nasal mucosa and can perforate nasal septum [7]
Worse case, chromium exposure can cause death so always be on the lookout and don’t put chromium in the water you drink.
There have been investigations of occupational diseases in chromium-contaminated workers. Chromium workers who work in proximity to chromium VI compounds may develop asthma and other respiratory symptoms and lose 20 per cent of their lung function. The majority of workers in chromium-plating factories that breathed in chromium dioxide were wheezing, choking, nasally congested, etc. [8] In a UK study, workers exposed to chromium during work were twice as likely to die of chronic obstructive airway disease [9].
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How chromium gets into water
Most chromium compounds are water insoluble because elementary chromium does not react with water at room temperature. Chromium III, for instance, won’t dissipate in water since it attaches to floating particles. But chromium III hydroxide and oxide is water-soluble[10]. Chromium is not water-soluble, but the chromium in water is there because the chromium metal and other elements are being leached into the water by industrial processes. For instance, when chromium is used in alloys and metal surfaces, the form most often used there is chromium III, while when it’s used in tanning and painting, the dissolved form is chromium VI and will diffuse into the environment if it is not sufficiently shielded [1, 10]. But there shouldn’t be chromium VI in water [2].
The Safe Dispositions of Chromium in Water.
The Safe Drinking Water Act directs that the EPA set action levels of contaminants in water.
The EPA sets standards for drinking water based on science and data, because the standards are supposed to keep you from having any health risks with consuming untreated water. Total chromium (chromium III and VI combined) is now subject to the Safe Water Drinking Act. The US federal drinking water standard is 100 ppb (parts per billion), or 0.1 mg/L, of total chromium in water since chromium III and chromium VI exchange back and forth in water and the human body. The EPA is still weighing whether it’s worth drinking water that has even low concentrations of chromium VI. It will tell us whether this kind of chromium should be controlled by an exception under the Safe Water Drinking Act [11].
But How Do You Know if You Have Chromium In Your Water?
Some substances in tap water that are harmful to human health can be identified by the way they taste or react with pipes in the public water system. But many of the rest (chromium among them) are odourless and tasteless [6], so you don’t even notice them in the water.
If that is the case, then the water must be professionally tested. You may have chromium in your water, but with today’s advanced water treatment, the chromium will be neutralized or diluted from your water. Always remember, do not test only for chromium in water, when you test for chromium in water. Water usually has more than one trace element.
[1] EPA. (2018). Methods for the determination of inorganic substances in environmental samples.
[2] ASTM. (2018). Standard guide for collection, preservation, and storage of water samples for inorganic chemical analyses.
[3] USEPA. (2017). National primary drinking water regulations – consumer confidence reports; National Primary Drinking Water Regulations implementation; consumer confidence report requirements.
[4] WHO. (2011). Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 4th ed.
[5] ASTM. (2017). Standard guide for flow proportional composite sampling of water.
[6] ISO. (2017). Water quality – sampling – part 2: guidance on the preservation and handling of water samples.
[7] USEPA. (2012). Preservation and storage of water samples.
[8] ISO. (2014). Water quality – principles and methods of sampling and analysis – part 1: general guidance for sampling.
[9] APHA. (2017). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 22nd ed.
[10] ISO. (2016). Water quality – determination of selected elements – inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
Observations You Can Make for Chromium
Prior to calling in a water testing company, you have to know that you can make some very basic observations to determine if your systems or your home water is tainted with a specific element or metal. To see if your water has local chromium, for instance, look around for natural geology rich in minerals like crocoite and chromite.
One of the better places where we might find high-chromium minerals is the green beaches of Hawaii, which are formed by chromium-rich grains of peridotite rocks.
A better way to tell if it’s an area where you can find a good supply of chromium is to check if there are metal recycling plants. These are active or inactive. There are cement factories, too. If you live near highways, chemical plants, incinerators and metal refineries, different kinds of chromium might have their products processed there and they may pollute your water. Check for chromium in your water if the water is corrosive or if your community has a history of contamination. If you are a city person, identify biological or chemical corrosion. Last but not least, know if there’s a toxic waste disposal site or landfill in your area.
Certified Water Testing
After you have performed observational testing, contact professional water test labs to test for water contaminants. It depends on the type of chromium you are testing.
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[2] "Chromium in Drinking Water." World Health Organization,
[3] "Hexavalent Chromium." Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,
[4] "Maximum Contaminant Levels for Chromium." Environmental Protection Agency,
[5] "Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry." Wikipedia,
[6] "How ICP-MS Works." PerkinElmer,
[7] "Trace Element Analysis in Water Using ICP-MS." Agilent Technologies,
[8] "Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry." Wikipedia,
[9] "Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS)." MicroChemicals,
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[11] "Comparison of ICP-MS and AAS for Trace Metal Analysis." Analytik Jena,
[12] "Atomic Absorption Spectrometry vs. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry." Lab Manager,
[13] "Limitations of ICP-MS." Western Analytical,
[14] "Advantages and Disadvantages of AAS." Analytik Jena,
How Can You Treat Chromium in Water?
But not all treatment technologies are whole-house and point-of-entry. Hence it is advisable to look for point-of-use devices. You should keep testing frequently during the post-treatment period so you know the treatment is working. Testing after treatments also makes sure the system is functional.
Short-Term Treatment for Chromium
So, if you think your water has chromium in it, don’t boil your drinking water since that doesn’t kill the chromium. You would probably need a Point of Use (POU) or Point of Entry (POE) solution. A POU is a water treatment system that is installed under the sink, on the faucet or on the counter and purifies the tap water. The POE cleans the water that enters a home or construction [12]. Or you could get the water in a bottled water as other contaminants can exist. You must also test water for contaminants after short-term water treatment systems. If your total chromium levels in your drinking water are higher than average, tell your supplier to adjust chromium content to a safe level. Remember to check your water for chromium and other elements periodically with reputable lab services.
Long-Term Water Treatment
Eventually, you will have to inspect plumbing for rust and install water purification so chromium and other contaminants are removed from the water before use. [13, 14] Among the long-term solutions are some:
Ion exchange. Ion exchange, which uses particles’ electrical charges, cleans water.
Reverse Osmosis. Reverse osmosis – moving water across a semipermeable membrane, from the low-to-high-content solute, removing chromium and other metals.
Lime softening. Lime Softening: Calcium hydroxide is added to the water, which precipitates chromium from the water.
Coagulation ties particles together to make it easier to push them out of water.
You might require other procedures or a mix of whole-house and point-of-use procedures depending on chromium levels. There is also a possibility you may require a water treatment system and upgrading of the plumbing and fixtures in the house. But all this after water has been tested for other metals that cause corrosion and filters have been used to remove them.
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[2] "Chromium in Drinking Water." World Health Organization,
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[11] "Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the Laboratory." Quality Assurance and Quality Control, vol. 10, no. 1, BioMed Central, 2010,
[12] "Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)." Laboratory Quality Management System, World Health Organization,
Frequently Asked Questions about Chromium
It’s not chromium III or VI, but total chromium (rather than chromium III or VI) in drinking water, which the EPA standards for chromium in drinking water is 0.1 mg/L. This law requires all water supply to test for total chromium, and the limit is based on studies of chromium’s long-term potential health effects on the human body [11]. Skin problems and kidney damage are some of the conditions you might expect to face as a result of chromium toxicity.
Is Total Chromium Bad for You?
Both chromium III and VI fall under the scope of EPA regulations because both can enter the human body and transform on demand. Then you’d better count both, because counting one will not tell you everything there is in the world. EPA says chromium VI is the lethal form of chromium. Hence, when chromium levels in tap water of public water supply exceeds 0.1 mg/l, it will be disclosed to consumers [10, 11].
That is now the standards for chromium: that was in 1991. But there’s still more work to be done on what chromium VI actually does to the body, and perhaps create an additional benchmark for it (as some states like California have already done).
Water Quality Testing
You’ve got to test your water if you think there is a metal like chromium in it, and you need the information, knowledge and compliance results.
References
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- Peng, Y., Hu, J., Li, Y., Zhang, B., Liu, W., Li, H., Zhang, H., Hu, C., Chen, X., Xia, W., Lu, S., Xu, S.: Exposure to chromium during pregnancy and longitudinally assessed fetal growth: Findings from a prospective cohort. Environment International. 121, 375–382 (2018).
- NIH: Chromium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals,
- Toxicological Profile for Chromium. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (US) (2012).
- Wilbur, S., Abadin, H., Fay, M., Yu, D., Tencza, B., Ingerman, L., Klotzbach, J., James, S.: Toxicological Profile for Chromium. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (US), Atlanta (GA) (2012).
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- Lenntech: Chromium and water: reaction mechanisms, environmental impact and health effects,
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- Point-of-Use or Point-ofEntry Treatment Options for Small Drinking Water Systems. EPA (2006).
- Çimen, A.: Removal of chromium from wastewater by reverse osmosis. Russ. J. Phys. Chem. 89, 1238–1243 (2015).
- Wang, F., Sun, Y., Zhou, R.: Experimental Study on the Treatment of Chromium-containing Wastewater by Aged Refuse. Procedia Environmental Sciences. 16, 598–605 (2012).
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