title: Change in cement manufacturing process, a cause for decline in chromate allergy?
abstract: Hexavalent chromate in cement is the commonest cause of allergic contact dermatitis, especially among construction workers. Over the past decades, there has been a general decline in the prevalence of chromate allergy among construction workers. We suspect that a change in the constituents of cement, resulting in the lowering of hexavalent chromate, contributed to the decline. Slag (free from hexavalent chromate) from the iron-quenched, blast furnace process has been used as a substitute for clinker (which contains high hexavalent chromate) in manufacturing cement. As a result, the slag has diluted the hexavalent chromate content of cement. Our analytical study showed that slag is free from hexavalent chromate and that the hexavalent chromate of clinker ranged from 6-17 micrograms/g. Substituting slag for clinker resulted in dilution of hexavalent chromate in the cement. The hexavalent chromate content of cement declines proportionately with increasing proportion of slag, e.g., a cement containing 5% slag has a total hexavalent chromate concentration of 17.5 micrograms/g, whereas increasing the proportion of slag to 60% reduced the hexavalent chromate content to 7.1 micrograms/gm in the same cement.
authors.affiliation: National Skin Centre, Singapore.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gan
mesh_terms: D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000009:adverse effects; D002840:Chromates / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002857:Chromium / Q000009:adverse effects; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010328:Patch Tests; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D002840:Chromates; D002857:Chromium; C074702:chromium hexavalent ion