Effects of Chromium on Human Body (original) (raw)

Physiological Effect of Chromium Exposure: A Review

Human exposure to metals is common due to their wide use in industry, and environmental persistence. The heaviest metal exposures occurred in the workplace or in environmental settings in close proximity to industrial sources. Chromium is one of the heaviest metals. Although chromium relative atomic mass is 51.996g it may found in 0, +2, +3 and +6 forms. Metal chromium (0) is used in steel production, whereas chromium (VI) and chromium (III) are used for chrome plating, dyes and pigments, leather tanning, and wood preserving. Divalent chromium (Cr2+) is a strong reductant. Chromium (VI) compounds are more toxic than chromium (III) compounds. Chromium (III) occurs naturally in the environment. The daily intake of chromium from food, air, and water is estimated, respectively, as 60, < 0.2-0.6, and < 4.0μg. Chromium enters the air, water and soil in the chromium(III) and chromium(VI) form through natural processes and human activities. A possible source of chromium exposure to the general public is waste dumps for chromate producing using local air or water pollution. Chromium compounds (chromates, dichromates and chromic acid) pose the most significant health hazards. Generally the health problems that are caused by chromium exposure are:- It can cause allergic reactions, such as skin rash; nose irritations and nosebleeds; Upset stomachs and ulcers; Respiratory problems such as respiratory tract irritant to the nose, throat and lungs; Weakened immune systems; Kidney and liver damage; Alteration of genetic material; Lung cancer and Death. The physiological effect of chromium exposure is not restricted to these effect only; but also, it affects other many physiological parameters including of:- Skin effects; Cardiovascular effects; Hematological effects; Reproductive and developmental effects; Gastrointestinal effects; Ocular effects; Neurological effects and so on.

Chromium, A Heavy Metal with Both Beneficial and Harmful Effects: A Global Perspective

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), 2023

Chromium is a heavy metal present in the atmosphere, water, soil and the biosphere. It is useful in the human body for metabolic activities as a trace element but its excess accumulation in the body through inhalation, prolonged contacts and ingestions in foods, drinks, and water could lead to toxicity leading to diseases. Due to its non-specific clinical presentations, and in the advent of toxicity in human body could go on over prolonged periods of time with probable wrong diagnoses and treatments as a result of health personnel capability and availability of both equipment and drugs. This short communication tries to re-awaken the consciousness of the medical community and the rest of the society about the dangers of chromium toxicity. This will help widen the scope of thinking horizon of health personnel managing patients presenting with varying and undefined clinical picture about the possibility of the involvement of chromium.

The safety and efficacy of high-dose chromium

Alternative Medicine Review a Journal of Clinical Therapeutic, 2002

The data on the standards for chromium requirements and the safety of various chromium compounds and doses are reviewed. The 350-fold difference between the acceptable daily intake and the calculated reference dose for humans of 70 mg per day seems without precedent with respect to other nutritional minerals. Previous claims of mutagenic effects of chromium are of questionable relevance. While studies have found DNA fragmentation (clastogenic effects) by chromium picolinate, anecdotal reports of high-dose chromium picolinate toxicity are few and ambiguous. The beneficial effects of chromium on serum glucose and lipids and insulin resistance occur even in the healthy. Serum glucose can be improved by chromium supplementation in both types 1 and 2 diabetes, and the effect appears dose dependent. Relative absorption of various chromium compounds is summarized and the mechanism of low molecular weight chromium binding substance (LMWCr) in up-regulating the insulin effect eight-fold is discussed. There is evidence of hormonal effects of supplemental chromium besides the effect on insulin. Chromium supplementation does result in tissue retention, especially in the kidney, although no pathogenic effect has been demonstrated despite considerable study.

Effects of chromium on the immune system

FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology, 2002

Chromium is a naturally occurring heavy metal found commonly in the environment in trivalent, Cr(III), and hexavalent, Cr(VI), forms. Cr(VI) compounds have been declared as a potent occupational carcinogen among workers in chrome plating, stainless steel, and pigment industries. The reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) results in the formation of reactive intermediates that together with oxidative stress oxidative tissue damage and a cascade of cellular events including modulation of apoptosis regulatory gene p53, contribute to the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity of Cr(VI)-containing compounds. On the other hand, chromium is an essential nutrient required to promote the action of insulin in body tissues so that the body can use sugars, proteins and fats. Chromium is of significant importance in altering the immune response by immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive processes as shown by its effects on T and B lymphocytes, macrophages, cytokine production and the immune response that may induce hypersensitivity reactions. This review gives an overview of the effects of chromium on the immune system of the body.

Effect of Chromium on Certain Aspects of Cellular Toxicity

Iranian Journal of Toxicology, 2009

Background:The impact of chromium exposure was studied on liver, kidney, testis, spleen, cerebrum and cerebellum of male Wistar rats (80-100 g body weight). Methods:It was observed that treatments of rats with chromium (i.p. at a dose of 0.8 mg / 100 g body weight per day) for a period of 28 days caused significant increase in chromium content while declining the body weight along with the organ weight, except liver. Results:Decreased acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities were observed in most of the organs. Significant increases in the cholesterol contents of all the organs were associated with the significant decreases in the level of phospholipids. Lipid peroxidation decreased in liver and kidney while it increased in testis, cerebrum and cerebellum. Reduced glutathione (GSH) level was found to be increased in liver, spleen and cerebrum, and decreased in kidney and testis. Catalase activity became elevated in liver, kidney, spleen and cerebellum while i...

Chromium Induced Developments of Diseases and their Inhibitions by Cargos

Asian Journal of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, 2022

The exposure of hexavalent chromium (Cr-VI) mainly through the inhalation, skin contact or oral administration by the environmental chromium industrial processes causes the major toxicityinduced health hazardous mortality throughout the world. Though reduced chromium (Cr-III), as an essential micronutrient, is utilized to maintain the normal blood glucose, lipid and protein profiles through the metabolism in the body to activate the action of the hormones such as insulin, the high concentration exposures of Cr-VI and Cr-III cause oxidative stress-induced DNA oxidation and adducts, DNA strand breaks and mutations, DNA-protein cross-links, membrane-lipid peroxidation and reduced/altered antioxidant/immune response activities, leading to cellular damage-related various diseases and the development of malignant cancer. Applications of different cargos may inhibit Cr-VI or its intermediates-induced cytotoxicity, immunotoxicity, or genotoxicity through chromium-chelating and scavenging free radical reactive species, restoring antioxidant and immune response activities or arresting disease-oriented signal transductions or other pathways at cellular and molecular levels. This review mainly demonstrates the development of various diseases by chromium exposure and their inhibitions by cargos.

Essentiality of Chromium for Human Nutrition and Health

Polish Journal of Environmental Studies

The aim of this paper is to review current knowledge about the essentiality of trivalent chromium for animal and human nutrition, and its biological function with special reference to its role in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, dietary intake and recommendations.

Acute and chronic systemic chromium toxicity

Science of The Total Environment, 1989

Although chromium and compounds containing it have been recognized as having potential severe adverse effects on health for more than 160 years, understanding of the systemic toxicology and true hazard of these compounds is still not complete. A review of the current state of knowledge is attempted in this paper, with appropriate attention given to the complications of multiple valence states and solubility. Selected chromium compounds, particularly hexavalent ones, are carcinogens, corrosives, delayed contact sensitizers, and have the kidney as their primary target organ. But chromium is also an essential element for humans. The body clearly possesses some effective detoxification mechanisms for some degree of exposure to hexavalent chrome compounds. The significant features of acute and chronic chromium toxicity are presented in view of these considerations.