Annex XV report PROPOSAL FOR IDENTIFICATION OF A ... - ECHA

ANNEX XV – IDENTIFICATION OF SVHC
Summary of exposure data
The risk related to chromium (VI) compounds has been already assessed in the Risk Assessment
Report (RAR) published in 2005 [EC, 2005] and which focused on chromium trioxide, sodium
chromate, sodium dichromate, potassium dichromate and ammonium dichromate. All these substances
(apparently with the exception of chromium trioxide) are included in the Candidate List.
The five Cr VI compounds all readily dissolve in aqueous environments in the body and the chromate/dichromate
ions produced from all five compounds behave similarly in biological tissues
and hence, other than the additional property of acidity and its potential influence on toxicity for
chromium trioxide, the five can be treated as a common group.
There are a number of countries with exposure limits (as Cr VI ) for Chromium (VI) or chromium
compounds and these have been tabulated in the RAR [EC, 2005].
The occupational exposure limits listed in the RAR only relate to inhalation exposure.
Occupational exposure limits are not usually set for dermal exposure.
For information, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed to
tighten the standard for hexavalent chromium occupational exposure with a permissible exposure
limit (PEL) value for chromium (VI) of 0.005 mg/m 3 (calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average
(TWA)) [OSHA, 2008].
In Germany the occupational exposure limit, which was based on the technical feasibility (TRK)
was withdrawn in 2006.
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