Health Risks of Chromium 6 in Drinking Water

Most people know that drinking water is essential for your health — but what if that water contains contaminants like chromium 6 in drinking water?

Staying properly hydrated can significantly affect your brain function and energy levels, help maximize your physical performance, and so much more.

However, what happens when your drinking water has substances in it that raise health questions?

One such substance is chromium-6, or hexavalent chromium. This metallic element has been found in tap water in American households even though researchers have raised concerns about exposure.

What are the risks of chromium-6, and what can you do to limit exposure from tap water? Let's take a look.

What Is Chromium-6?

Chromium-6, also known as hexavalent chromium, is one form of the naturally occurring metallic element known as chromium. This element can be found in plants, animals, rocks, soil, and volcanic gases and dust. There are different types of chromium. Another form, chromium-3 or trivalent chromium, is considered an essential nutrient.

How Is Chromium-6 Used?

Hexavalent chromium is used along with other chromium compounds in a number of industries. These include:

• Stainless steel production
• Electroplating
• Textile manufacturing
• Leather tanning
• Wood preservation

The United States is one of the leading producers of chromium in the world.

How Are People Exposed to Hexavalent Chromium?

People can become exposed to hexavalent chromium through skin contact, ingesting it in water or food, or breathing it in.

Chromium-6 appears to be more toxic than chromium-3 and tends to be corrosive and irritating.

This oxidizing agent is thought to be able to pass through cell membranes, which may help explain why it is more toxic than chromium-3.

What Does the Research Say About Chromium-6 in Drinking Water?

When humans inhale hexavalent chromium compounds, it can cause lung cancer.

This type of chromium is listed on the Report on Carcinogens, which documents known human carcinogens.

Studies have shown that workers exposed to high levels of chromium in the air at work had increased lung cancer rates.

There are occupations where people are likely exposed to more chromium than the general population.

Jobs with High Risk of Chromium-6 Exposure

• People who cut or weld metals that contain chromium, for example, stainless steel
• Workers who handle spray paints, chromate-containing pigments, or coatings
• Workers who operate chrome plating baths

Other adverse effects that can occur from exposure to hexavalent chromium include:

• Eye irritation and damage
• Nasal and skin ulceration and irritation
• Liver and kidney damage
• Sinus and nasal cancers

What about drinking chromium-6 in water?

One of the acute effects of chromium ingestion includes gastrointestinal effects in both humans and animals, including vomiting, abdominal pain, and hemorrhage.

Chronic exposure to high levels of chromium-6 by oral exposure or inhalation may produce negative effects on the:

• gastrointestinal system
• immune system
• kidney
• liver
• blood

Mouse studies that looked at oral exposure to chromium-6 found reproductive and developmental issues, including:

• Reduced sperm count
• Decreased litter size
• Degeneration of the seminiferous tubules' outer cellular layer

Studies from the National Toxicology Program found that oral ingestion of sodium dichromate dihydrate, which contains chromium-6, caused cancer in laboratory animals. They also found tumor growth at unusual and rare sites.

According to a PBS NewsHour report, chromium-6 in drinking water has been linked to serious health concerns, including stomach cancer.

A report from the Environmental Working Group found that two-thirds of Americans had higher-than-recommended levels in their tap water.

However, there is no federal standard specifically for the maximum amount of chromium-6.

Where Is Chromium-6 in the Water Supply of the Biggest Concern?

According to the Environmental Working Group, California, Arizona, and Oklahoma have had some of the highest statewide averages.

The highest amount in any city in that report was found in Phoenix, followed by St. Louis and Houston.

The report found the chemical in the tap water of about 200 million Americans.

The investigation, conducted in 2010, was one of the broadest publicly available surveys of hexavalent chromium in U.S. water supplies at that time.

California has been a leader in setting a state standard for chromium-6 in drinking water.

The Famous Chromium-6 Case in Hinkley, CA

One famous case involving chromium-6 was the subject of the 2000 film Erin Brockovich.

This case involved the town of Hinkley, California, where drinking water was alleged to have been contaminated by a nearby facility.

Between 1952 and 1966, Pacific Gas & Electric used chromium-6 to fight corrosion in a cooling-tower system.

Wastewater from this facility was discharged into unlined ponds. Some of it reached groundwater and impacted an area of roughly two square miles near the plant.

During that 12-year period, PG&E dumped a total of 370 million gallons of wastewater tainted with chromium.

It wasn’t until December 1987 that the company informed the local water board of the earlier contamination.

A class-action lawsuit was filed against PG&E, which came to the attention of Erin Brockovich in 1993.

She investigated what appeared to be a cluster of illnesses that could be linked to chromium-6 in the Hinkley community.

This led to a $333 million settlement, one of the largest class-action settlements in U.S. history at the time.

How Can You Reduce Exposure to Chromium-6 in Tap Water?

One practical way to reduce chromium-6 in household drinking water is to use a quality home filter tested for metals and related contaminants.

Reverse osmosis can reduce chromium-6. Gravity-fed systems such as Berkey are also used by families who want to reduce a broad range of tap-water contaminants without plumbing or electricity.

Filters can lose effectiveness over time as metals and other contaminants load the media. Replace filters on schedule and maintain the system.

You can also work with local public-health or water-utility information to find out what is reported in your tap water.

This matters most if you live near manufacturing or disposal sites. Keep children away from uncontrolled hazardous-waste areas.

If you work with chromium compounds, follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance to limit workplace exposure.

Does a Berkey Water Filter Reduce Chromium-6?

Berkey systems are used to reduce a wide range of metals and chemical contaminants in municipally treated tap water, including chromium-6 according to available contaminant-reduction testing.

They are also used to reduce many other common tap-water contaminants, such as:

• Lead
• PFOA
• Iron
• Arsenic
• Chlorine
• Mercury
• Bisphenol-A
• Trihalomethanes
• Petroleum contaminants
• Pharmaceuticals
• Chloramines
• Heavy metals
• Atrazine
• Pesticides

For extra fluoride reduction, add fluoride filters. Official replacement elements for Berkey systems are the Phoenix Gravity New Millennium Edition filters.

Berkey systems are intended for municipally treated tap water at home.

How Can You Filter Water For a Large Family?

If you have a medium to large family, look at the Royal Berkey. It holds up to 3.25 gallons and works well for home use and travel when tap water is available.

The Big Berkey holds 2.25 gallons and is a popular option for small or medium-sized families.