Chromic Acid

· CALL 911. Then call emergency response telephone number on shipping paper. If shipping paper not available or no answer, refer to appropriate telephone number listed on the inside back cover.

· ELIMINATE all ignition sources (no smoking, flares, sparks or flames) from immediate area.

· Wear positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

TIH (Toxic Inhalation Hazard) - Term used to describe gases and volatile liquids that are toxic when inhaled. Some are TIH materials themselves, e.g., chlorine, and some release TIH gases when spilled in water, e.g., chlorosilanes. [ERG 2016].

If material involved in fire: Extinguish fire using agent suitable for type of surrounding fire (Material itself does not burn or burns with difficulty). Use water in flooding quantities as fog. Cool all affected contrainers with flooding quantities of water. Apply water from as far a distrance as possible. /Chromic acid solution/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Storage site should be as close as practical to lab in which carcinogens are to be used, so that only small quantities required for ... expt need to be carried. Carcinogens should be kept in only one section of cupboard, an explosion-proof refrigerator or freezer (depending on chemicophysical properties ...) that bears appropriate label. An inventory ... should be kept, showing quantity of carcinogen & date it was acquired ... Facilities for dispensing ... should be contiguous to storage area. /Chemical Carcinogens/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": A high-efficiency particulate arrestor (HEPA) or charcoal filters can be used to minimize amt of carcinogen in exhausted air ventilated safety cabinets, lab hoods, glove boxes or animal rooms ... Filter housing that is designed so that used filters can be transferred into plastic bag without contaminating maintenance staff is avail commercially. Filters should be placed in plastic bags immediately after removal ... The plastic bag should be sealed immediately ... The sealed bag should be labelled properly ... Waste liquids ... should be placed or collected in proper containers for disposal. The lid should be secured & the bottles properly labelled. Once filled, bottles should be placed in plastic bag, so that outer surface ... is not contaminated ... The plastic bag should also be sealed & labelled. ... Broken glassware ... should be decontaminated by solvent extraction, by chemical destruction, or in specially designed incinerators. /Chemical Carcinogens/

Environmental considerations: Land spill: Dig a pit, pond, lagoon, holding area to contain liquid or solid material. /SRP: If time permits, pits, ponds, lagoons, soak holes, or holding areas should be sealed with an impermeable flexible membrane liner./ Dike surface flow using soil, sand bags, foamed polyurethane, or foamed concrete. Absorb bulk liquid with fly ash or cement powder. Neutralize with agricultural lime (CaO), crushed limestone (CaCO3) or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3).

Environmental considerations: Water spill: Neutralize with agricultural lime (CaO), crushed limestone (CaCO3), or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). Adjust pH to neutral (pH=7). Use mechanical dredges or lifts to remove immobilized masses of pollutants and precipitates. /Chromic acid solution/

Environmental considerations: Air spill: Apply water spray or mist to knock down vapors. Vapor knockdown water is corrosive or toxic and should be diked for containment. /Chromic acid solution/

Generators of waste (equal to or greater than 100 kg/mo) containing this contaminant, EPA hazardous waste number D007, must conform with USEPA regulations in storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste.

The following wastewater treatment technologies have been investigated for chromic acid: Concentration process: Reverse Osmosis.

SRP: Wastewater from contaminant suppression, cleaning of protective clothing/equipment, or contaminated sites should be contained and evaluated for subject chemical or decomposition product concentrations. Concentrations shall be lower than applicable environmental discharge or disposal criteria. Alternatively, pretreatment and/or discharge to a permitted wastewater treatment facility is acceptable only after review by the governing authority and assurance that "pass through" violations will not occur. Due consideration shall be given to remediation worker exposure (inhalation, dermal and ingestion) as well as fate during treatment, transfer and disposal. If it is not practicable to manage the chemical in this fashion, it must be evaluated in accordance with EPA 40 CFR Part 261, specifically Subpart B, in order to determine the appropriate local, state and federal requirements for disposal.

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": There is no universal method of disposal that has been proved satisfactory for all carcinogenic compounds & specific methods of chem destruction ... published have not been tested on all kinds of carcinogen-containing waste. ... summary of avail methods & recommendations ... /given/ must be treated as guide only. /Chemical Carcinogens/

For more Disposal Methods (Complete) data for CHROMIC ACID (8 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

If employees' clothing may have become contaminated with solids or liquids containing chromic acid or chromates, employees should change into uncontaminated clothing before leaving the work premises.

Clothing contaminated with chromic acid or chromates should be placed in closed containers for storage until it can be discarded or until provision is made for the removal of substance from the clothing. If the clothing is to be laundered or otherwise cleaned to remove the chromic acid or chromates, the person performing the operation should be informed of chromic acid or chromates hazardous properties.

Where there is any possibility of exposure of an employee's body to solids or liquids containing chromic acid or chromates, facilities for quick drenching of the body should be provided within the immediate work area for emergency use.

Non-impervious clothing which becomes contaminated with chromic acid or chromates should be removed immediately and not reworn until the substance is removed from the clothing.

For more Preventive Measures (Complete) data for CHROMIC ACID (23 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

0.0002 [mg/m3], as Cr(VI), inhalable particulate matter

0.0005 [mg/m3], as Cr(VI), inhalable particulate matter

8 hr Time Weighted Avg (TWA): 0.05 mg/cu m /Chromium and inorganic compounds, as Cr; water-soluble Cr VI compounds/

A1: Confirmed human carcinogen. /Chromium and inorganic compounds, as Cr; water-soluble Cr VI compounds/

Biological Exposure Index (BEI): Determinant: total chromium in urine; Sampling Time: end of shift at end of workweek; BEI: 25 ug/L. /Chromium (VI), Water-soluble fume/

Biological Exposure Index (BEI): Determinant: total chromium in urine; Sampling Time: increase during shift; BEI: 10 ug/L. /Chromium (VI), Water-soluble fume/

Employees should be provided with and required to use impervious clothing, gloves, face shields (eight-inch minimum), and other appropriate protective clothing necessary to prevent any possiblity of skin contact with solids or liquids containing chromic acid or chromates.

Wear appropriate personal protective clothing to prevent skin contact. /Chromic acid and chromates/

Wear appropriate eye protection to prevent eye contact. /Chromic acid and chromates/

Eyewash fountains should be provided in areas where there is any possibility that workers could be exposed to the substances; this is irrespective of the recommendation involving the wearing of eye protection. /Chromic acid and chromates/

For more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (Complete) data for CHROMIC ACID (10 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

The mainstay of treatment of any acid burn is copious irrigation with large amounts of tap water. To be most effective, treatment should be started immediately after exposure, preferably before arrival in the emergency department. Remove any contaminated clothing. Do not attempt to neutralize the burn with weak reciprocal chemicals (i.e. alkali for acid burns), because the heat generated from the chemical reaction may cause severe thermal injury.

Skin contact with chromic acid can cause redness, pain, and severe skin burns. Chromic acid may cause severe burns to the eye and permanent eye damage. Severe and rapid corrosive burns of the mouth, gullet and gastrointestinal tract will result if chromic acid is swallowed. Symptoms include burning, choking, nausea, vomiting and severe pain. Chronic exposure to low levels of chromic acid can lead to chronic exposure to hexavalent chromium. Hexavalent chromium is a known carcinogen. Chronic inhalation especially has been linked to lung cancer. Hexavalent chromium is also known to cause reproductive and developmental defects. (A12)

LC50; Species: Colinus virginianus (Northern Bobwhite Quail) diet (chemical incorporated into food) >5100 ppm for 8 days

LD50; Species: Colinus virginianus (Northern Bobwhite Quail) age 38 wk; oral via capsule 164 mg/kg (95% confidence interval: 125-250 mg/kg)

LC50; Species: Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard Duck) age 10 days; diet (chemical incorporated into food) >5100 ppm for 8 days

EC50; Species: Daphnia magna (Water Flea) age <24 hr; Conditions: freshwater, static; Concentration: 760 ug/L for 48 hr (95% confidence interval: 680-900 ug/L); Effect: intoxication, immobilization /57% purity/

For more Ecotoxicity Values (Complete) data for CHROMIC ACID (7 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

IDENTIFICATION AND USE: Chromic acid forms dark purplish-red crystals. It is used as photographic chemical; aluminum anodizing reagent; chrome electroplating/zinc colorless conversion coatings reagent; side-chain oxidation reagent, and wood preservative. HUMAN EXPOSURE AND TOXICITY: Repeated or prolonged exposure to chromic acid or chromate dust or mist may cause an ulceration and perforation of the nasal septum. Respiratory irritation may occur with symptoms resembling asthma. Liver damage with yellow jaundice has been reported. Prolonged or repeated exposure of the skin may cause a skin rash. Allergic skin rash may also occur. Contact causes severe eye injury characterized by infiltration, vascularization, and opacification of the cornea. Full-thickness skin burns covering as little as 1% of the body surface area may lead to irreversible acute tubular necrosis secondary to acute chromium intoxication. The mortality rate is high if the burned area exceeds approximately 10% of the body surface. The correlation with duration of chrome bath work associated with exposure to chromium acid was positive only for cancers of the lung and bronchus in male workers. It was experimentally and epidemiologically confirmed that hexavalent chromium compounds act as carcinogens and cause specific biological effects on the respiratory system. These characteristics of hexavalent compounds might be attributable to the strong oxidizing potency and/or high permeability through the cell membrane. Furthermore, hexavalent compounds might be entirely different in biological action from trivalent compounds which are chemically most stable. ANIMAL STUDIES: There is limited evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of chromic acid. There was an increased incidence in abnormalities (cleft palate, cleft sternum, perforated sternum) in developmental studies in mice. In CHO cells, there was a significant increase in SCE with CrVI compounds. In the Ames test there was a dose-response for increase in revertant colonies for all CrVI compounds at 10-200 ug/plate with TA1537, TA98 and TA100. Addition of S9 did not affect mutation incidence. In other studies, when tested in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA1537, TA1538, TA98 and TA100 the S9 mix decreased the mutagenicity of CrVI compounds.

Chromic acid is highly corrosive and strongly oxidative. Many strong acids cause tissue burns through the denaturation of proteins and partial hydrolysis of proteins. Most proteins denature at pH values of less than 3-4. The large-scale denaturation of proteins, de-esterification of lipids and subsequent desiccation of tissues leads to chemical burns. . Symptoms include itching, bleaching or darkening of skin or tissues, blistering and burning sensations. Chromic acid also denatures proteins through inserting oxygen atoms into protein side chains. Chromic acid is also a source of chromium and especially hexavalent chromium. Hexavalent chromium compounds (including chromium trioxide, chromic acids, chromates, chlorochromates) are toxic and carcinogenic. For this reason, chromic acid oxidation is not used on an industrial scale except in the aerospace industry. Hexavalent chromium's carcinogenic effects are caused by its metabolites, pentavalent and trivalent chromium. The DNA damage may be caused by hydroxyl radicals produced during reoxidation of pentavalent chromium by hydrogen peroxide molecules present in the cell. Trivalent chromium may also form complexes with peptides, proteins, and DNA, resulting in DNA-protein crosslinks, DNA strand breaks, DNA-DNA interstrand crosslinks, chromium-DNA adducts, chromosomal aberrations and alterations in cellular signaling pathways. It has been shown to induce carcinogenesis by overstimulating cellular regulatory pathways and increasing peroxide levels by activating certain mitogen-activated protein kinases. It can also cause transcriptional repression by cross-linking histone deacetylase 1-DNA methyltransferase 1 complexes to CYP1A1 promoter chromatin, inhibiting histone modification. Chromium may increase its own toxicity by modifying metal regulatory transcription factor 1, causing the inhibition of zinc-induced metallothionein transcription. (A12, L16, A34, A35, A36)

Skin contact can cause redness, pain, and severe skin burns. Chromic acid may cause severe burns to the eye and permanent eye damage. Severe and rapid corrosive burns of the mouth, gullet and gastrointestinal tract will result if chromic acid is swallowed. Symptoms include burning, choking, nausea, vomiting and severe pain.

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Whenever medical surveillance is indicated, in particular when exposure to a carcinogen has occurred, ad hoc decisions should be taken concerning ... /cytogenetic and/or other/ tests that might become useful or mandatory. /Chemical Carcinogens/

Chromic (VI) Acid (CAS #7738-94-5) was tested for carcinogenicity in Porton Wistar rats (52 females/48 males) exposed for up to 2 years to 2 mg of the test compound in stainless steel mesh pellets surgically implanted in the left inferior bronchiolus. Control rats (25-50/sex/treatment group) received a similar treatment with 2 mg of cholesterol (negative control) or 2 mg of 20-methylcholanthrene (positive control) or calcium chromate (positive control). Treatment with the test compound had no adverse effects with respect to mortality rate, body weights, or non-lung tumors. There were two occurrences of bronchial carcinomas out of 100 lungs examined and was considered not significant when analyzed by statistical methods based on the Null Hypothesis. Both groups of positive control rats had an increased incidence (25-46%) of bronchial carcinomas, as compared to the negative control group (0%).

Chromic (VI) Acid (CAS #7738) was tested for carcinogenicity in Porton Wistar rats (52 females/48 males) exposed for up to 2 years to 2 mg of the test compound in stainless steel mesh pellets surgically implanted in the left inferior bronchiolus. Control rats (25-50/sex/treatment group) received a similar treatment with 2 mg of cholesterol (negative control) or 2 mg of 20-methylcholanthrene (positive control) or calcium chromate (positive control). Treatment with the test compound had no adverse effects with respect to mortality rate, body weights, or non-lung tumors. There were two occurrences of bronchial carcinomas out of 100 lungs examined and was considered not significant when analyzed by statistical methods based on the Null Hypothesis. Both groups of positive control rats had an increased incidence (25-46%) of bronchial carcinomas, as compared to the negative control group (0%).

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Repeated or prolonged exposure to chromic acid or chromate dust or mist may cause an ulceration & perforation of the nasal septum. Respiratory irritation may occur with symptoms resembling asthma. Liver damage with yellow jaundice has been reported. Prolonged or repeated exposure of the skin may cause a skin rash. Allergic skin rash may also occur.

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Contact causes severe injury characterized by infiltration, vascularization, & opacification of the cornea. Chronic exposure to fine droplets in the air from electroplating baths or transfer to the eyes on the fingers causes chronic conjunctival inflammation & in rare instances a brown band in the superficial layers of the cornea.

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Splash contact of concentrated strong acids, such as ... chromic acid ... can prove as severely & devastatingly injurious to the eye as splashes of strong alkalies.

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Symptomatology (after ingestion or skin contact): 4) Circulatory collapse with clammy skin, weak and rapid pulse, shallow respirations, and scanty urine. Circulatory shock is often the immediate cause of death. 5) Asphyxial death due to glottic edema. 6) Late esophageal, gastric and pyloric strictures and stenoses, which may require major surgical repair, should be anticipated. Signs of obstruction commonly appear within a few weeks but may be delayed for months and even years. Permanent scars may also appear in the cornea, skin and oropharynx. 7) Uncorrected circulatory collapse of several hours' duration may lead to renal failure and ischemic lesions in the liver and heart.

For more Human Toxicity Excerpts (Complete) data for CHROMIC ACID (12 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

D007; A solid waste containing chromium may or may not become characterized as a hazardous waste when subjected to the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure listed in 40 CFR 261.24, and if so characterized, must be managed as a hazardous waste. /Chromium/

As the federal pesticide law FIFRA directs, EPA is conducting a comprehensive review of older pesticides to consider their health and environmental effects and make decisions about their continued use. Under this pesticide reregistration program, EPA examines newer health and safety data for pesticide active ingredients initially registered before November 1, 1984, and determines whether the use of the pesticide does not pose unreasonable risk in accordance to newer safety standards, such as those described in the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. Chromic acid is found on List A, which contains most pesticides that are used on foods and, hence, have a high potential for human exposure. List A consists of the 194 chemical cases (or 350 individual active ingredients) for which EPA issued registration standards prior to FIFRA '88. Case No: 0132; Pesticide type: fungicide (wood perserative); Registration Standard Date: 06/01/88, 09/10/86; Case Status: OPP is reviewing data from the pesticide's producers regarding its human health and/or environmental effects, or OPP is determining the pesticide's eligibility for reregistration and developing the Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) document.; Active ingredient (AI): Chromic acid; Data Call-in (DCI) Date(s): 01/31/94; AI Status: The producers of the pesticide has made commitments to conduct the studies and pay the fees required for reregistration, and are meeting those commitments in a timely manner.

Persons in charge of vessels or facilities are required to notify the National Response Center (NRC) immediately, when there is a release of this designated hazardous substance, in an amount equal to or greater than its reportable quantity of 10 lb or 4.54 kg. The toll free number of the NRC is (800) 424-8802. The rule for determining when notification is required is stated in 40 CFR 302.4 (section IV. D.3.b).