An environmental hazard assessment of low-level dermal exposure to hexavalent chromium in solution among chromium-sensitized volunteers

Soil acidification and the liming potential of biochar

Soil acidification in managed ecosystems such as agricultural lands principally results from the increased releasing of protons (H⁺) from the transformation reactions of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) containing compounds. The incorporation of liming materials can neutralize the protons released, hence reducing soil acidity and its adverse impacts to the soil environment, food security, and human health. Biochar derived from organic residues is becoming a source of carbon input to soil and provides multifunctional values. Biochar can be alkaline in nature, with the level of alkalinity dependent upon the feedstock and processing conditions. This review covers the fundamental aspects of soil acidification and of the use of biochar to address constraints related to acidic soil. Biochar is increasingly considered as an effective soil amendment for reducing soil acidity owing to its liming potential, thereby enhancing soil fertility and productivity in acid soils. The ameliorant effect on acid soils is mainly because of the dissolution of carbonates, (hydro)-oxides of the ash fraction of biochar and potential use by microorganisms.

Chromium Pollution in European Water, Sources, Health Risk, and Remediation Strategies: An Overview

Chromium is a potentially toxic metal occurring in water and groundwater as a result of natural and anthropogenic sources. Microbial interaction with mafic and ultramafic rocks together with geogenic processes release Cr (VI) in natural environment by chromite oxidation. Moreover, Cr (VI) pollution is largely related to several Cr (VI) industrial applications in the field of energy production, manufacturing of metals and chemicals, and subsequent waste and wastewater management. Chromium discharge in European Union (EU) waters is subjected to nationwide recommendations, which vary depending on the type of industry and receiving water body. Once in water, chromium mainly occurs in two oxidation states Cr (III) and Cr (VI) and related ion forms depending on pH values, redox potential, and presence of natural reducing agents. Public concerns with chromium are primarily related to hexavalent compounds owing to their toxic effects on humans, animals, plants, and microorganisms. Risks for human health range from skin irritation to DNA damages and cancer development, depending on dose, exposure level, and duration. Remediation strategies commonly used for Cr (VI) removal include physico-chemical and biological methods. This work critically presents their advantages and disadvantages, suggesting a site-specific and accurate evaluation for choosing the best available recovering technology.

Biomarkers of oxidative stress in electroplating workers exposed to hexavalent chromium

This study evaluates levels of biomarkers of oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in 105 male workers at 16 electroplating companies who had been exposed to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). The study participants were 230 non-smoking male workers, comprising 105 electroplating workers who had been exposed to chromium and 125 control subjects who performed office tasks. Personal air samples, spot urine samples, hair samples, fingernail samples and questionnaires were used to quantify exposure to Cr(VI), oxidative DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and environmental pollutants. Both the geometric mean personal concentrations of Cr(VI) of the Cr-exposed workers and the total Cr concentrations in the air to which they were exposed significantly exceeded those for the control subjects. The geometric mean concentrations of Cr in urine, hair and fingernails, and the urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the Cr(VI) exposed workers exceeded those in the control subjects. Daily cumulative Cr(VI) exposure and urinary Cr were significantly correlated with urinary 8-OHdG levels following adjustments for covariates. A ten-fold increase in urinary Cr level was associated with a 1.73-fold increase in urinary 8-OHdG level. Daily cumulative Cr(VI) exposure and urinary Cr level were significantly correlated with urinary MDA level following adjustments for covariates. A ten-fold increase in urinary Cr was associated with a 1.45-fold increase in urinary MDA. Exposure to Cr(VI) increased oxidative DNA injury and the oxidative deterioration of lipids in electroplating workers.

The toxicity of crude 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM): review of experimental data and results of predictive models for its constituents and a putative metabolite

Crude 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) is an industrial solvent used to clean coal. Approximately 10 000 gallons of a liquid mixture containing crude MCHM were accidently released into the Elk River in West Virginia in January 2014. Because of the proximity to a water treatment facility, the contaminated water was distributed to approximately 300 000 residents. In this review, experimental data and computational predictions for the toxicity for crude MCHM, distilled MCHM, its other components and its putative metabolites are presented. Crude MCHM, its other constituents and its metabolites have low to moderate acute and subchronic oral toxicity. Crude MCHM has been shown not to be a skin sensitizer below certain doses, indicating that at plausible human exposures it does not cause an allergic response. Crude MCHM and its constituents cause slight to moderate skin and eye irritation in rodents at high concentrations. These chemicals are not mutagenic and are not predicted to be carcinogenic. Several of the constituents were predicted through modeling to be possible developmental toxicants; however, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid and dimethyl 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate did not demonstrate developmental toxicity in rat studies. Following the spill, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a short-term health advisory level of 1 ppm for drinking water that it determined was unlikely to be associated with adverse health effects. Crude MCHM has an odor threshold lower than 10 ppb, indicating that it could be detected at concentrations at least 100-fold less than this risk criterion. Collectively, the findings and predictions indicate that crude MCHM poses no apparent toxicological risk to humans at 1 ppm in household water.

Chromium-induced skin damage among Taiwanese cement workers

Little research has been done on the relationships between chromium exposure, skin barrier function, and other hygienic habits in cement workers. Our purpose was to investigate chromium-induced skin barrier disruption due to cement exposure among cement workers. One hundred and eight cement workers were recruited in this study. Urinary chromium concentration was used to characterize exposure levels. The biological exposure index was used to separate high and low chromium exposure. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was used to assess the skin barrier function. TEWL was significantly increased in workers with high chromium exposure levels than those with low chromium exposure levels ( p = 0.048). A positive correlation was also found between urinary chromium concentration and TEWL ( R = 0.28, p = 0.004). After adjusting for smoking status and glove use, a significant correlation between urinary chromium concentrations and TEWL remained. Moreover, workers who smoked and had a high chromium exposure had significantly increased TEWL compared to nonsmokers with low chromium exposure ( p = 0.01). Skin barrier function of cement workers may have been disrupted by chromium in cement, and smoking might significantly enhance such skin barrier perturbation with chromium exposure. Decreased chromium skin exposure and smoking cessation should be encouraged at work.

Transcriptomic analysis provides insights on hexavalent chromium induced DNA double strand breaks and their possible repair in midgut cells of Drosophila melanogaster larvae

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a well known mutagen and carcinogen. Since genomic instability due to generation of double strand breaks (DSBs) is causally linked to carcinogenesis, we tested a hypothesis that Cr(VI) causes in vivo generation of DSBs and elicits DNA damage response. We fed repair proficient Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon R(+)) larvae Cr(VI) (20.0μg/ml) mixed food for 24 and 48h and observed a significant (p<0.05) induction of DSBs in their midgut cells after 48h using neutral Comet assay. Global gene expression profiling in Cr(VI)-exposed Oregon R(+) larvae unveiled mis-regulation of DSBs responsive repair genes both after 24 and 48h. In vivo generation of DSBs in exposed Drosophila was confirmed by an increased pH2Av immunostaining along with the activation of cell cycle regulation genes. Analysis of mis-regulated genes grouped under DSB response by GOEAST indicated the participation of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) DSB repair pathway. We selected two strains, one mutant (ligIV) and another ku80-RNAi (knockdown of ku80), whose functions are essentially linked to NHEJ-DSB repair pathway. As a proof of principle, we compared the DSBs generation in larvae of these two strains with that of repair proficient Oregon R(+). Along with this, DSBs generation in spn-A and okr [essential genes in homologous recombination repair (HR) pathway] mutants was also tested for the possible involvement of HR-DSB repair. A significantly increased DSBs generation in the exposed ku80-RNAi and ligIV (mutant) larvae because of impaired repair, concomitant with an insignificant DSBs generation in okr and spn-A mutant larvae indicates an active participation of NHEJ repair pathway. The study, first of its kind to our knowledge, while providing evidences for in vivo generation of DSBs in Cr(VI) exposed Drosophila larvae, assumes significance for its relevance to higher organisms due to causal link between DSB generation and Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis.

Dermatological toxicity of hexavalent chromium

Hexavalent chromium causes two types of dermatological toxicities: allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and skin ulcers. This report reviews the etiology, prevalence, pathology, dose-response, and prognosis of both of these reactions. Reports in the literature indicate that repeated exposure to hexavalent chromium in concentrations of 4-25 ppm can both induce sensitization and elicit chromium ACD. Exposure to 20 ppm hexavalent chromium can cause skin ulcers in nonsensitized people. The prevalence of chromium sensitivity in cement workers, exposed to 10-20 ppm hexavalent chromium for years, is approximately 4-5%. Chromium ACD can be a chronic debilitating disease, perhaps because chromium is ubiquitous in foods and in the environment and is difficult to avoid. Due to the high rates of sensitization in populations chronically exposed to chromium and the chronic nature of chromium ACD, some investigators recommend reducing the hexavalent chromiumconcentrations in consumer products, such as detergents, to less than 5 ppm.

Contact hypersensitivity to stainless steel cages (chromium metal) in hairless descendants of mexican hairless dogs

Canine allergic contact hypersensitivity is an uncommon skin disease as compared with human beings because hair coat is a good natural barrier to environmental contactants. In our colony of hairless dogs housed in stainless steel cages, we have encountered spontaneously occurring contact hypersensitivity. The author has attempted to study the toxicological effects of environmental sensitizing substances on the canine skin. The purpose of this study is to elucidate dermatological characteristics in canine species with contact hypersensitivity. This skin lesion was investigated by patch tests, macroscopic observations, and histopathological examinations. Patch tests exhibited positive reactions to potassium dichromate. Macroscopically, early lesions were macules and/or papules and they gradually progressed to severe inflammatory dermatitis over the dorsum. In the chronic phase, lichenification, kyperkeratosis, hyperpigmentation, dryness, scaliness, and fissuring were observed in the skin. Avoidance of contact with the stainless steel cages resulted in clinical improvement. Histopathologically, the epidermis apparently showed hyperkeratosis, thickening, hyperplasia, and rete ridge formation. Lichenified lesions had clumps of melanin granules in the stratum basale and spinosum. In the dermis, there was marked edema and dense mononuclear cell infiltration. Vasodilation, hemorrhage, and hyperplasia of sebaceous glands were also found. Both dermal mast cells and epidermal Langerhans cells significantly increased in the skin lesions, as compared with nonlesional sites. The present results revealed that constant contact with stainless steel cages (chromium metal) caused contact hypersensitivity in hairless dogs with very sparse hairs.

Human health risk and exposure assessment of chromium (VI) in tap water

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] has been detected in groundwater across the United States due to industrial and military operations, including plating, painting, cooling-tower water, and chromate production. Because inhalation of Cr(VI) can cause lung cancer in some persons exposed to a sufficient airborne concentration, questions have been raised about the possible hazards associated with exposure to Cr(VI) in tap water via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. Although ingested Cr(VI) is generally known to be converted to Cr(III) in the stomach following ingestion, prior to the mid-1980s a quantitative analysis of the reduction capacity of the human stomach had not been conducted. Thus, risk assessments of the human health hazard posed by contaminated drinking water contained some degree of uncertainty. This article presents the results of nine studies, including seven dose reconstruction or simulation studies involving human volunteers, that quantitatively characterize the absorbed dose of Cr(VI) following contact with tap water via all routes of exposure. The methodology used here illustrates an approach that permits one to understand, within a very narrow range, the possible intake of Cr(VI) and the associated health risks for situations where little is known about historical concentrations of Cr(VI). Using red blood cell uptake and sequestration of chromium as an in vivo metric of Cr(VI) absorption, the primary conclusions of these studies were that: (1) oral exposure to concentrations of Cr(VI) in water up to 10 mg/L (ppm) does not overwhelm the reductive capacity of the stomach and blood, (2) the inhaled dose of Cr(VI) associated with showering at concentrations up to 10 mg/L is so small as to pose a de minimis cancer hazard, and (3) dermal exposures to Cr(VI) in water at concentrations as high as 22 mg/L do not overwhelm the reductive capacity of the skin or blood. Because Cr(VI) in water appears yellow at approximately 1-2 mg/L, the studies represent conditions beyond the worst-case scenario for voluntary human exposure. Based on a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for chromium derived from published studies, coupled with the dose reconstruction studies presented in this article, the available information clearly indicates that (1) Cr(VI) ingested in tap water at concentrations below 2 mg/L is rapidly reduced to Cr(III), and (2) even trace amounts of Cr(VI) are not systemically circulated. This assessment indicates that exposure to Cr(VI) in tap water via all plausible routes of exposure, at concentrations well in excess of the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level of 100 microg/L (ppb), and perhaps those as high as several parts per million, should not pose an acute or chronic health hazard to humans. These conclusions are consistent with those recently reached by a panel of experts convened by the State of California.

Quantitative aspects of contact allergy to chromium and exposure to chrome-tanned leather

The potential of trivalent and hexavalent chromium to induce and elicit allergic contact dermatitis and the degree of chromium exposure from leather products are reviewed. Chromium dermatitis is often due to exposure in the occupational environment, with cement being one of the most common chromium sources. However, consumer products such as chromium(III)-tanned leather products are also an important source of chromium exposure. Apart from Cr(III), which is used for tanning, leather often also contains trace amounts of Cr(VI), which is formed by oxidation of Cr(III) during the tanning process. In a recent study of the Cr(VI) content of leather products bought on the Danish market, 35% of such articles had a Cr(VI) content above the detection limit of 3 p.p.m., ranging from 3.6 p.p.m. to 14.7 p.p.m. Leachable Cr(III) was detected at levels of 430-980 p.p.m. An examination of available dose-response studies showed that exposure to occluded patch test concentrations of 7-45 p.p.m. Cr(VI) elicits a reaction in 10% of the chromium-sensitive patients. When reviewing repeated open exposure studies, it is seen that either exposure to 5 p.p.m. Cr(VI) in the presence of 1% sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or exposure to 10 p.p.m. Cr(VI) alone both elicit eczema in chromium-sensitive patients. The eliciting capacity of Cr(III) has not been systematically investigated but, compared to Cr(VI), much higher concentrations are needed to elicit eczema.