US EPA

5882312 

Journal Article 

Intra-erythrocyte chromium as an indicator of exposure to hexavalent chromium: An in vivo evaluation in intravenous administered rat 

Devoy, J; Cosnier, F; Bonfanti, E; Antoine, G; Nunge, H; Lambert-Xolin, AM; Décret, MJ; Douteau, L; Lorcin, M; Sébillaud, S; Grossmann, S; Michaux, S; Müller, S; Viton, S; Seidel, C; Gaté, L 

2019 

1 

Toxicology Letters
ISSN: 0378-4274
EISSN: 1879-3169 

314 

133-141 

English 

31325633 

10.1016/j.toxlet.2019.07.020 

WOS:000483428400016 

is a supplement to 5879950 Intra-erythrocyte chromium as an indicator of exposure to hexavalent chromium: in-vivo evaluation

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) compounds are classified as carcinogenic to humans. Whereas chromium measurements in urine and plasma attest to the last few hours of total chromium exposure (all oxidation states of chromium), chromium in red blood cells (RBC) is attributable specifically to Cr(VI) exposure over the last few days. Before recommending Cr in RBC (CrIE) as a biological indicator of Cr(VI) exposure, in vivo studies must be undertaken to assess its reliability. The present study examines the kinetics of Cr(VI) in rat after a single intravenous dose of ammonium dichromate. Chromium levels were measured in plasma, red blood cells and urine. The decay of the chromium concentration in plasma is one-phase-like (with half-life time of 0.55 day) but still measurable two days post injection. The excretion of urinary chromium peaks between five and six hours after injection and shows large variations. Intra-erythrocyte chromium (CrIE) was very constant up to a minimum of 2 days and half-life time was estimated to 13.3 days. Finally, Cr(III) does not interfere with Cr(VI) incorporation in RBC. On the basis of our results, we conclude that, unlike urinary chromium, chromium levels in RBC are indicative of the amount of dichromate (Cr(VI)) in blood.