Calcium Chromate

Excerpt from ERG Guide 151 [Substances - Toxic (Non-Combustible)]:

In case of fire in the surroundings, use appropriate extinguishing media.

Fresh air, rest. Half-upright position. Artificial respiration may be needed. Refer for medical attention.

First rinse with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, then remove contaminated clothes and rinse again. Refer for medical attention .

First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible), then refer for medical attention.

Rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting. Give one or two glasses of water to drink. Refer for medical attention .

EYES: First check the victim for contact lenses and remove if present. Flush victim's eyes with water or normal saline solution for 20 to 30 minutes while simultaneously calling a hospital or poison control center. Do not put any ointments, oils, or medication in the victim's eyes without specific instructions from a physician. IMMEDIATELY transport the victim after flushing eyes to a hospital even if no symptoms (such as redness or irritation) develop.

Suitable extinguishing media: Use water spray, alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical or carbon dioxide.

Advice for firefighters: Wear self-contained breathing apparatus for firefighting if necessary.

Small fire: Dry chemical, CO2 or water spray. Large fire: Water spray, fog or regular foam. Move containers from fire area if you can do it without risk. Dike fire-control water for later disposal; do not scatter the material. Use water spray or fog; do not use straight streams. Fire involving tanks or car/trailer loads: Fight fire from maximum distance or use unmanned hose holders or monitor nozzles. Do not get water inside containers. Cool containers with flooding quantities of water until well after fire is out. Withdraw immediately in case of rising sound from venting safety devices or discoloration of tank. ALWAYS stay away from tanks engulfed in fire. For massive fire, use unmanned hose holders or monitor nozzles; if this is impossible, withdraw from area and let fire burn.

If material involved in fire: Extinguish fire using agent suitable for type of surrounding fire. (Material itself does not burn or burns with difficulty.)

/When fire fighting wear/ self-contained breathing apparatus, with a full facepiece, operated in pressure-demand or other positive pressure mode. /Chromic acid & chromates/

Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Storage class (TRGS 510): Non-combustible, acute toxic Cat.3 / toxic hazardous materials or hazardous materials causing chronic effects.

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/

ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES: Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures: Use personal protective equipment. Avoid dust formation. Avoid breathing vapors, mist or gas. Ensure adequate ventilation. Evacuate personnel to safe areas. Avoid breathing dust; Environmental precautions: Prevent further leakage or spillage if safe to do so. Do not let product enter drains. Discharge into the environment must be avoided; Methods and materials for containment and cleaning up: Pick up and arrange disposal without creating dust. Sweep up and shovel. Keep in suitable, closed containers for disposal.

Isolation and Evacuation: As an immediate precautionary measure, isolate spill or leak area in all directions for at least 50 meters (150 feet) for liquids and at least 25 meters (75 feet) for solids. Spill: Increase, in the downwind direction, as necessary, the isolation distance shown above. Fire: If tank, rail car or tank truck is involved in a fire, ISOLATE for 800 meters (1/2 mile) in all directions; also, consider initial evacuation for 800 meters (1/2 mile) in all directions.

Land Spill: Dig a pit, pond, lagoon, or 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./ Cover solids with a plastic sheet to prevent dissolving in rain or fire fighting water.

Environmental considerations: Land spill: Dig a pit, pond, lagoon, holding area to contain liquid or solid material. Cover solids with a plastic sheet to prevent dissolving in rain or fire fighting water.

For more Cleanup Methods (Complete) data for CALCIUM CHROMATE (8 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

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. /Chromium/

Generators of waste (equal to or greater than 100 kg/mo) containing this contaminant, EPA hazardous waste number U032, must conform with USEPA regulations in storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste.

Product: Offer surplus and non-recyclable solutions to a licensed disposal company. Contact a licensed professional waste disposal service to dispose of this material. Dissolve or mix the material with a combustible solvent and burn in a chemical incinerator equipped with an afterburner and scrubber; Contaminated packaging: Dispose of as unused product.

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.

For more Disposal Methods (Complete) data for CALCIUM CHROMATE (16 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

Personal protection: chemical protection suit including self-contained breathing apparatus. Sweep spilled substance into covered containers. If appropriate, moisten first to prevent dusting. Carefully collect remainder. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations. Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment.

ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES: Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures: Use personal protective equipment. Avoid dust formation. Avoid breathing vapors, mist or gas. Ensure adequate ventilation. Evacuate personnel to safe areas. Avoid breathing dust; Environmental precautions: Prevent further leakage or spillage if safe to do so. Do not let product enter drains. Discharge into the environment must be avoided.

Precautions for safe handling: Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Avoid formation of dust and aerosols. Further processing of solid materials may result in the formation of combustible dusts. The potential for combustible dust formation should be taken into consideration before additional processing occurs. Provide appropriate exhaust ventilation at places where dust is formed.

Appropriate engineering controls: Handle in accordance with good industrial hygiene and safety practice. Wash hands before breaks and at the end of workday.

Gloves must be inspected prior to use. Use proper glove removal technique (without touching glove's outer surface) to avoid skin contact with this product. Dispose of contaminated gloves after use in accordance with applicable laws and good laboratory practices. Wash and dry hands.

For more Preventive Measures (Complete) data for CALCIUM CHROMATE (22 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

We used a soft agar assay on cultured Syrian hamster fibroblasts to determine the ability of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and Cr(VI) compounds to induce malignant cell transformation. Induction of extended anchorage-independent growth was detected in BHK 21/c13 cells by scoring colonies of transformed cells visible to the naked eye 20-25 d after plating in growth medium containing agar. Survival was determined by plating cells in liquid medium without agar and by counting the number of macroscopic colonies after 7-10 d. Mitomycin C and 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide were used as reference direct transforming agents, with clearly positive results. In our hands no increase of the spontaneous transformation rate of BHK cells was induced by NTA concentrations ranging from 2 X 10(-3) to 10(-2) M, although the survival index was significantly reduced above 4 X 10(-3) M NTA. Two Cr(VI) compounds, K2Cr2O7, which is highly soluble in water, and CaCrO4, which is partially soluble, were tested in the soft agar assay either in the absence or in the presence of NTA. When used alone, both compounds behaved as positive transforming agents. NTA increased 4 or 10 times the cytotoxicity and the transforming activity of CaCrO4 and K2Cr2O7, respectively. As the amounts of soluble Cr(VI) detectable in the K2Cr2O7 and CaCrO4 solutions were not increased in the presence of NTA, a synergistic interaction between NTA and soluble Cr(VI) is inferred.

The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of dust, through the skin and by ingestion.

Inhalation (L16) ; oral (L16) ; dermal (L16)

IDENTIFICATION AND USE: Calcium chromate (CaCrO4) is a bright yellow powder. It is used as a pigment, corrosion inhibitor, oxidizing agent, depolarizer for batteries, and coating for light metal alloys. HUMAN EXPOSURE AND TOXICITY: Calcium chromate is a suspected human carcinogen. It has been reported that eliminating the formation of calcium chromate, had resulted in a distinct reduction in bronchial carcinoma mortality among workers at chromate-producing factories exposed for the first time after the change-over. In vitro, human cells exhibited four times more DNA breaks than the hamster cells and two times more than mouse embryo fibroblast cells when the CaCrO4 exposure conditions were equivalent. Alkaline elution studies also demonstrated the formation of DNA-protein cross-links by CaCrO4 in all three cell lines. The level of cross-links was four times greater in the human cells compared to the mouse cells and was a factor of 2 greater in the hamster cells compared to the mouse cells. In other in vitro experiment, treatments with various concentrations of K2Cr2O7, CaCrO4, and CrO3 were given to human lymphocytes cultured in presence of BrdUrd for 2 replicative cycles. Sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were visualized. In all cases, the higher the concentrations the higher the frequencies of SCEs per metaphase and per chromosome. On a concentration basis, the order of effectiveness in producing SCEs was: CaCrO4 much greater than CrO3 greater than K2Cr2O7. ANIMAL STUDIES: Calcium chromate produced bronchial carcinomas after implantation of an intrabronchial pellet in rats and injection-site sarcomas after intramuscular implantation in rats and mice and after intrapleural injection in rats. Calcium chromate was positive for the induction of sex linked recessive mutations in Drosophila melanogaster at dietary levels of 500 and 700 ppm. Calcium chromate was positive in the L5178Y TK+/TK- mouse lymphoma forward mutation assay. Chromosomal aberrations were studied in Chinese hamster ovary cells and in C3H10T1/2 cells following treatment with NiCl2, crystalline NiS, and CaCrO4. All three compounds caused an increase in chromosomal aberrations in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion. Alkaline elution studies demonstrated CaCrO4-induced DNA single strand breaks and DNA-protein crosslinks in Chinese hamster ovary cells. ECOTOXICITY STUDIES: Calcium chromate at 200 ppm inhibited plant growth by 50%.

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)

Burning sensation. Sore throat. Cough. Wheezing. Laboured breathing.

Redness. Pain. Skin burns.

Redness. Pain. Blurred vision. Burns.

Nausea. Vomiting. Abdominal pain. Burning sensation. Diarrhoea. Shock or collapse.

Breathing hexavalent chromium can cause irritation to the lining of the nose, nose ulcers, runny nose, and breathing problems, such as asthma, cough, shortness of breath, or wheezing. Ingestion of hexavalent chromium causes irritation and ulcers in the stomach and small intestine, as well as anemia. Skin contact can cause skin ulcers. (L16)

The following link will take the user to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Test Agent Search Results page, which tabulates all of the "Standard Toxicology & Carcinogenesis Studies", "Developmental Studies", and "Genetic Toxicity Studies" performed with this chemical. Clicking on the "Testing Status" link will take the user to the status (i.e., in review, in progress, in preparation, on test, completed, etc.) and results of all the studies that the NTP has done on this chemical.[Available from: http://ntp-apps.niehs.nih.gov/ntp_tox/index.cfm?fuseaction=ntpsearch.searchresults&searchterm=13765-19-0]

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/

Oncogenicity was evaluated in male and female Sprague Dawley rats (40/sex/group) exposed to calcium chromate via intratracheal instillation at 0, 1.25 mg/kg/ (once/week) and 0.25 mg/kg (5 times/week) for 30 months. A carcinogenic effect was produced only in the lung. The number of benign/malignant tumors for the once-a-week 1.25 mg/kg dose level and 5 times-a-week 0.25 mg/kg dose level were 5/1 and 11/3, respectively, with no tumors reported in untreated or physiological saline treated animals. No statistical treatment of data was reported. Test compound was considered to have exhibited a weak carcinogenic effect under the test conditions.

U032; As stipulated in 40 CFR 261.33, when calcium chromate, as a commercial chemical product or manufacturing chemical intermediate or an off-specification commercial chemical product or a manufacturing chemical intermediate, becomes a waste, it must be managed according to Federal and/or State hazardous waste regulations. Also defined as a hazardous waste is any residue, contaminated soil, water, or other debris resulting from the cleanup of a spill, into water or on dry land, of this waste. Generators of small quantities of this waste may qualify for partial exclusion from hazardous waste regulations (40 CFR 261.5).

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/

... Substances for which a Federal Register notice has been published that included consideration of the serious health effects, including cancer, from ambient air exposure to the substance. Chromium is included on this list. /Chromium/

Listed as a hazardous air pollutant (HAP) generally known or suspected to cause serious health problems. The Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990, directs EPA to set standards requiring major sources to sharply reduce routine emissions of toxic pollutants. EPA is required to establish and phase in specific performance based standards for all air emission sources that emit one or more of the listed pollutants. Chromium compounds is included on this list. /Chromium compounds/

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).

Calcium chromate is designated as a hazardous substance under section 311(b)(2)(A) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and further regulated by the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1977 and 1978. These regulations apply to discharges of this substance. This designation includes any isomers and hydrates, as well as any solutions and mixtures containing this substance.

Toxic pollutant designated pursuant to section 307(a)(1) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and is subject to effluent limitations. /Chromium and compounds/