US EPA

1234923 

Journal Article 

Accidental environmental pollution of a residential quarter of Kortrijk by a chromic trioxide aerosol 

Beernaert, H; Vandermijnsbrugge, F; Martens, M 

1984 

Yes 

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
ISSN: 0007-4861
EISSN: 1432-0800 

NIOSH/00143991 

33 

2 

163-168 

English 

6466896 

WOS:A1984TD76400006 

The extent of environmental pollution was determined following an accidental chromium-trioxide (1333820) leak from a Belgian chrome plating facility. The leak occurred during a weekend and was discovered on Monday morning, at which time the facility was shut down. Three days after the shutdown, plants, vegetables, and soil were sampled in gardens near the facility and analyzed for chromium(VI) (18540299). Outside a zone of brown vegetation, plants contained 0 to 8 milligrams (mg) chromium per kilogram (kg). Inside the zone, soil contained 44 to 59mg/kg chromium, while most plant and vegetable samples contained 121 to 931mg/kg. However, one sample of rhubarb stems contained only 2.6mg/kg. The authors conclude that the zone of brown vegetation indicated the area receiving virtually all the chromium(VI) contamination. A safe daily human intake of 0.17mg chromium(VI), suggests that the vegetables sampled in the contaminated zone are not safe for human consumption. 

DCN-131350; Environmental contamination; Quantitative analysis; Research; Metal compounds; Accident analysis; Industrial chemicals; Trace analysis; Aerosol particles; Airborne particles; Toxic materials