Protecting Workers, Communities and the Environment from Hexavalent Chromium and Other Industrial Pollutants

In 2000, the dangers of exposure to hexavalent chromium gained national attention after the release of the Erin Brockovich movie. In the award winning film, the leading actress discovers that hexavalent chromium (Cr⁺⁶), a toxic form of the element chromium, has contaminated the groundwater in a small town in California. Leading up to the discovery, the town’s residents had experienced a cluster of tumors, cancers and other medical issues.
 
According to the U.S. Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program (NTP), hexavalent chromium is an established human carcinogen in certain occupational settings as a result of inhalation exposure. The NTP also reports that hexavalent chromium is rare in nature and environmental Cr⁺⁶ is usually man-made and associated with industrial sources. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) states that many industries use hexavalent chromium and the agency considers all Cr⁺⁶ compounds to be occupational carcinogens. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that people who live in the vicinity of chromium waste disposal sites or chromium manufacturing and processing plants have a greater probability of elevated exposure than the general population. 
 
“Late last year, a metal-finishing company in Los Angeles was forced to temporarily close its doors due to high emissions of hexavalent chromium downwind of its facility,” said Zahid Iqbal, MPH, CIH and Technical Director at Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “This is an example of how even today, industrial sources of Cr⁺⁶ can still be an exposure risk to workers, communities and the environment.”
To help keep companies stay in regulatory compliance and to protect workers and the public from exposure risks, Clark Seif Clark’s experienced industrial hygienists offer sampling and testing services, exhaust ventilation evaluations and conduct personal protective equipment evaluations. CSC can also help write Cr⁺⁶ compliance plans, worker training and even assist with written employee notifications.
To learn more about this or other occupational, indoor air quality, environmental, health and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118. 
 
About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address environmental, IAQ, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.
 

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Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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