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manufacturing (reviewed by Nriagu and Nieboer, 1988). Discussions of the production, uses, and<br />

toxicology of chromium have been presented by Nriagu and Nieboer (1988). Good review<br />

articles describing the geochemistry of chromium have been written by Rai et al. (1988), Palmer<br />

and Wittbrodt (1991), Richard and Bourg (1991), and Palmer and Puls (1994). A critical review<br />

of the thermodynamic properties for chromium metal and its aqueous ions, hydrolysis species,<br />

oxides, and hydroxides was published by Ball and Nordstrom (1998).<br />

5.4.3 Aqueous Speciation<br />

Chromium exists in the +2, +3, and +6 oxidation states in water, of which only the +3 and +6<br />

states are found in the environment. Chromium(III) exists over a wide range of pH and Eh<br />

conditions, whereas Cr(VI) exists only under strongly oxidizing conditions. According to Baes<br />

and Mesmer (1976), Cr(III) exists predominantly as Cr3+ below pH 3.5 in a Cr(III)-H2O system.<br />

With increasing pH, hydrolysis of Cr3+ yields CrOH2+ + " -<br />

, Cr(OH) 2,<br />

Cr(OH)3(aq),<br />

and Cr(OH)4,<br />

4+ 5+<br />

Cr2(OH) 2 , and Cr3(OH) 4 . At higher chromium concentrations, polynuclear species, such as<br />

4+ 5+ "<br />

Cr2(OH) 2 and Cr3(OH) 4 , can form slowly at 25 C (Baes and Mesmer, 1976). Chromium(VI)<br />

hydrolyses extensively, forming primarily anionic species. These species are HCrO4 2- 2-<br />

CrO4 (chromate), and Cr2O7 (dichromate) (Baes and Mesmer, 1976; Palmer and Wittbrodt,<br />

1991; Richard and Bourg, 1991). Palmer and Puls (1994) presented some Cr(VI) speciation<br />

2-<br />

diagrams representative of groundwater conditions. They showed that above pH 6.5, CrO4 -<br />

generally dominates. Below pH 6.5, HCrO4 dominates when the total concentration of dissolved<br />

2-<br />

Cr(VI) is low (

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