Industrial Hygiene and Environmental - Hexavalent Chromium
Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is present in many different compounds that have a variety of industrial applications. Cr(VI) can also be formed during various "hot work" procedures as in welding operations where the chromium is not originally hexavalent.

Chromium is a naturally occurring metallic element that can be found in water and in soil or rocks. It is also present in the food we eat, either in the food itself or in residual soils that might remain on such items as produce. In addition, trace amounts of chromium exist in the environment as a result of industrial processes. The most common forms of chromium are trivalent (chromium 3) and hexavalent(chromium 6); in its trivalent state, the chromium atom is missing three electrons, and in its hexavalent state, it is missing six electrons. In the environment, chromium usually exists in the trivalent form. It is possible for one form to change into the other when chemical conditions are right.

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