Monitor industrial exposure to chromium.
This test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by LabCorp. It has not been cleared or approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Chromium exposure through the inhalation of insoluble chromium compounds may produce pneumoconiosis with impairment of pulmonary function. Exposure to the inorganic soluble salts can precipitate skin ulcerations, dermatitis, perforation of the nasal septum, and respiratory sensitization. Acute exposure to these salts may result in local tissue necrosis and severe kidney damage.2
Chromium and its inorganic salts are widely employed in industry, including metal plating, steel and nonferrous alloys, refractory materials, and chromate pigments and preservatives. In organic forms, chromium is also an essential nutrient for man supplied in the diet (5−115 μg/day); however, overexposure is generally associated with the industrial environment, specifically through the inhalation of chromium dust and fumes.
BEI® are reference values intended as guidelines for evaluation of occupational exposure. BEI® represent biological levels of chemicals that correspond to workers with inhalation exposure equivalent to the threshold limit value (TLV®) of the chemicals. TLVs refer to the airborne concentrations of substances and represent conditions under which it is believed that nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed, day after day, without adverse health effects.3
1. BEI® (Biological Exposure Indices) based on 2010 Recommendations of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).
2. Baselt RC, Cravey RH. Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man. 4th ed. Chemical Toxicology Institute;1995.
3. TLVs and BEIs, Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices 2010, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).