Hexavalent chromium was released into the Wixom Sewage Treatment Facility from Tribar Manufacturing - water from the treatment facility is released into the Huron River System. Read more: Demolition of building behind ‘green ooze’ spill in Madison Heights underway Huron River contaminated Officials said drinking water in the area was not impacted by the leak. The owner of the building, Gary Sayers, pleaded guilty to storing chemical waste in the basement of the building without a permit.ĭemolition on the building was expected to start this year and could take months to complete. It seeped through the soil and leaked out onto the freeway. Officials said the chemicals were being improperly stored in the basement of a building in Madison Heights. Green ooze on I-696Ī “green ooze” was found leaking onto I-696 in 2019, the substance was identified as hexavalent chromium. Other health effects from exposures include nasal and sinus cancers, kidney and liver damage, nasal and skin irritation, ulceration, eye irritation and damage. The compounds have been shown to cause lung cancer in humans when inhaled.Īccording to the NIEHS, studies have shown increased lung cancer rates in workers who were exposed to high levels of chromium where they work. Hexavalent chromium is a known human carcinogen - it can cause cancer, according to OSHA. That’s because it’s more toxic and they want to ensure the risk is addressed appropriately. When environmental officials test for chromium in the water, they always assume that the measurement is 100% hexavalent chromium. They are both covered under the total chromium drinking water standard because, according to the EPA, both forms of chromium can convert back and forth in water and in the human body, depending on environmental conditions. The current federal drinking water standard for both forms of chromium is 0.1 mg/l or 100 ppb. The Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for chromium was established in 1991 after research indicated that continued exposure could cause skin reactions. The CDC said that the following workers are most at risk of being exposed to hexavalent chromium:Įmployees working in the electroplating, wood preservation, or textile dyeing industries The United States is one of the world’s leading producers of chromium compounds, according to the NIEHS. It’s also used to electroplate chromium onto metal parts to provide a decorative or protective coating. It can also be used as an anticorrosive agent added to paints, primers and other surface coatings. It’s used as pigments in dyes, paints, inks and plastics. How is hexavalent chromium used?Ĭhromium compounds are widely used in electroplating, stainless steel production, leather tanning, textile manufacturing and wood preservation. It can be leaked into the environment by leakage, poor storage or inadequate industrial waste disposal practices, according to the EPA. Hexavalent chromium occurs naturally in the environment from the erosion of natural chromium deposits and can also be produced by industrial processes. The EPA said that trivalent chromium is an essential human dietary element and can be found in many vegetables, fruits, meat, grains and yeast.
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