The point I am making is that you are confusing technical terms.
Chromium oxide is classed as harmful, safety instructions are to keep it
out of reach of children.
As you correctly point out, the action is corrosive and not toxic. The
concentrations for chromium to act toxic have to be relatively high and
for that reason its not classed as toxic. In order to get the described
symptoms you have indeed to work full time in a chroming shop. To get
cancer from using it in a sort of one time action is very very unlikely.
Even then it is still not toxic but cancerogenous.
That said, as I pointed out before, does not mean you should not protect
yourself.
Gernot
> ----------
> From: Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, 7th edition, N.
> Irving
> Sax, Richard J. Lewis Sr. Van Nostrand Reinhold pub.
>
> "Chromic acid and its salts" ( oxides included ) "have a corrosive
> action
> on the skin and mucous membranes. The lesions are confined to the
> exposed
> parts, affecting cheifly the skin of the hands and forearms and the
> mucous
> membranes of the nasal septum. The characteristoic lesion is a deep
> penetrating ulcer, which for the most part does not tend to suppurate,
> and
> which is slow in healing. Small ulcers, about the size of a matchhead,
> may
> be found, cheifly around the base of the nails, on the knuckles,
> dorsum of
> the hands and forearms. These ulcers tend to be clean and progress
> slowly.
> They are frequently painless, even though quite deep. They heal slowly
> and
> produce scars. On the mucous membranes of the nasal septum. the ulcers
> are
> usually accompanied by purulent discharges and crusting. If exposure
> continues, perforation of the nasal septum may result but produces no
> deformity of the nose. Chromium salts are human and experimental
> carcinogens of the lungs, nasal cavity, and paranasal sinus, and are
> also
> experimental carcinogens of the stomach and larynx. Hexavalent
> compounds
> are more toxic than trivalent. Eczematous dermatitis due to travalent
> chromium compounds have been reproted."
>
> Is that toxic enough for you. Lots of ways to polsih metal w/o using a
> chromium compound. When you've been in as many old plating shop as I
> have
> and tried to deal with an "old timer" with twitches, tics, spasms skin
> cancers and ulcers and a general inability to relate cause to effect
> you
> come away with a real respect for the nasty effects of heavy metal
> exposures. For those in CA, "Chromium and its compounds are on the
> Community Right to Know List"
>
> As I've pointed out before, a lot of the solvents, paints, polishes
> etc
> used on autos are not good for ones health. Protect yourself! Don't
> learn
> the hard way!
>
> Deano
>
> ----------
> > From: Gernot Vonhoegen <gernot.vonhoegen@stir.ac.uk>
> > To: Malcolm Walker <walker05@camosun.bc.ca>; 'Bollen'
> <bollen@ibm.net>
> > Cc: Peter J. Thomas <pjthomas01@snet.net>; James
> <james.carpenter@ukaea.org.uk>; triumph owners digest
> <triumphs@autox.team.net>
> > Subject: RE: Polishing Metal
> > Date: Monday, May 04, 1998 4:32 AM
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > ----------
> > > I would be very sure you use a good mask with CrO2. its a pretty
> toxic
> > > heavy metal oxide
> > >
> > Its actually not, though its always a good practise to wear a mask
> when
> > spraying.
> >
> > Gernot
>
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