Case Study: Chromium Toxicity Risk Management

In Marietta, Ohio, a steel plant called Eramet has been pumping the air full of a toxic chemical called Manganese. The chemical is known to cause health problems, particularly damaging to neurochemical and motor function. When a study confirmed that manganese concentrations in the area were much higher than

The Natural Step provides a framework for considering the effects of materials selection on human health. Robèrt suggested that many human health problems, particularly those of children, result from materials we use in our daily lives. The extraction of resources such as fossil fuels and metal ores from the planet’s crust produces carcinogens and results in heavy metals entering the earth’s surface biosphere

In workshop 2, we have substances such as ferric chloride, fine etch crystals and photoresist developer. Whilst handling these substances we must wear protective goggles to avoid any splash or fumes getting in contact with the eyes causing redness, irritation and blurred vision. Gloves and protective clothing to avoid any spillage contacting the skin and causing irritation, burns or pain. We use vapour respirator to avoid any inhalation of any toxic fumes causing coughing or sore throat and wash our hands after handling to avoid indigestion causing abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, shock or collapse.

Most people are surprised to learn that their bodies are contaminated with heavy metals. This is a little-known problem that has grown into a widespread issue. There are many different ways your body becomes contaminated with heavy metals, such as through the type of cookware you use, the tap water you drink and the fillings you have in your teeth. Fortunately, there are natural ways to cleanse your body of these harmful toxins, such as with chlorella. This is an algae found in nature and is oftentimes used in integrative medicine by naturopathic doctors in Arizona.

Poor air quality and breathing in the dry residues from toxigenic organisms can cause multiple health concerns. This material has the potential to create havoc in many ways.

Toxicology-Toxic - may be fatal if swallowed or inhaled. Corrosive, causes burns. Harmful by inhalation and through skin absorption.

The toxicity of the product is extremely low. The Lowest Observable Adverse Effects Level (LOAEL) of agent FE-36 is 15 percent. The competing product Halotron I has a LOAEL level of two percent, whereas another similar product, Halon 1211, rates at a toxicity level of one percent. When you consider that a higher percentage means the product is less toxic, fire protection equipment using CleanGuard’s FE-36 agent is safer to use than other compounds. The agent is low in toxins because it is composed of the gasses people breathe - carbon dioxide, nitrogen and

Many changes have occurred since the 1992 convention in Minamata, Japan. The world has recognized a need for an anticipatory approach to manage industrial disasters. In the US the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tried to improve and anticipate the industrial safety of chemical facilities. In response to the Bhopal, India tragedy the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) section 112(r) requires the EPA to publish the Risk Management Plan (RMP) regulations. Part of the CAAA mandated that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) create the Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals 29 CFR 1910.119 standard. These regulations require hazard assessments, chemical release prevention programs, and emergency response preparedness (Environmental Protection Agency, 2009).

in mining and metalworking, and has been associated with poisoning from items such as dyes,

Erin Brockovich, a 2000 Jersy Film Production, staring Julia Roberts is based on a true story that involved Pacific Gas and Electric Company using hexavalent chromium or chromium six as a rust inhibitor to prevent corrosion of pistons used in engines. According to the movie, for fourteen years, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company had been dumping water containing chromium six into ponds and covering them over. The ponds were not lined and the chromium based water leaked into the local water supply exposing residents of Hinkley, California to chromium six. Repeated exposure to hexavalent chromium causes chronic headaches, cancer, nose bleeds, bone and organ deterioration, respiratory failure, liver failure, heart failure, bone or organ

In Spring 2015, North Carolina sends “Do Not Drink” notices to nearly 400 plus families in more than a dozen small population communities such as Belmont, NC. The reason is groundwater contamination with toxic chemicals in the drinking water coming from nearby leaking Duke Energy coal ash pits. One main chemical found is hexavalent chromium a known carcinogen. As well, some of these families claim they have people in their household suffering with mysterious illnesses. On family reports lung disease yet the person was a non-smoker and healthy before moving to this community.

If a person can easily explain his or her expertise pertaining to a certain field with ease, then one thing we have learned about in this class may be true. That lesson is the concept that I have stated above which pertains to someone being an expert opinion. This field of knowledge goes without stating one’s opinion may be accepted without given reasoning and may avoid being criticized. (Whitbeck, 15). However, my theory is that just because someone may have expertise in that pertaining field does not make their judgement morally right or wrong. This debate brings about the topic of carcinogens; a potentially cancer causing agent. The particular carcinogen that I am talking about is chromium (VI). This specific carcinogen, chromium, has been used to create certain items like colored paint or used to make stainless steel as many of our household appliances are made up of today. However, this carcinogen has also been found in a place that many raise alarm about and this is the fact that chromium has also been found in our drinking water. However, there are agencies that are designed to protect the well-being of us and harmful chemicals in our environment; this agency is known as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA appoints a group of five panelists that are experts with this specific carcinogen much as I mentioned above their knowledge and basis of expertise creates an expert opinion without much justification. The goal of this group of panelists is to create a

Recently pollution caused by toxic heavy metals and organic compounds has received a widespread attention owing to their high toxicity and carcinogenic effects to both the ecological environment and living organisms [1-3]. Among various toxic heavy metals, Cr (VI) is one of the heavy metal ions present in effluents produced from various industries such as chemical, mining, aerospace, steel fabrication, electroplating etc [4-6]. Dinitrophenol compounds, a group of persistent organic compounds, has received a widespread attention due to its detrimental effects on the environmental and human health [7]. 2,4-Dinitrophenol has been extensively detected in the industrial effluents due to its diverse use as a raw material for speciality chemicals

According to McIver, Grizales, Brownstein & Goldfine (2015), chromium is an important trace element acts as a cofactor in maintaining normal lipid and carbohydrate metabolism . There are studies that suggest that chromium helps to control blood sugar levels. According to Feng, Weiwei, Zhao, Ting, Mao, Guanghua, Wang, Wei, Feng, Yun, Li, Fang,Wu, Xiangyang (2015), chromium can improve how the body uses insulin and decreases the insulin requirements in people with type 2 diabetes. Chromium helps the body to uptake glucose and transport it to improve the metabolism of glycogen and glycogen metabolizing relating enzymes. In addition, chromium helps with insulin signaling. Glycogen and protein synthesis depends on insulin signaling and when one

As one of the most abundant elements on our planet, nickel is widely used in the production of stainless steel materials, jewelry, batteries, medical devices, metal plating, coins and welding. Nickel processing poses one of the largest threats to health as workers are repeatedly exposed to nickel during different stages of the process. Due to this increased exposure, refinery workers have shown an increase of lung and nasal cancer. Various animal models have also been used to elicit the formation of tumors with the chronic exposure to nickel compounds. Even though nickel is classified as a (group 1) known carcinogen and many different mechanisms have been proposed in the carcinogenicity of nickel the actual mechanism is yet unknown.