occupational asthma and chromite mining

I was consulted by a 33 year old woman who developed asthma after two years of exposure to chromite ore during underground chromite mining. Other exposure was diesel exhaust emissions. Symptoms worse at work and improved away from work. No smelter on site so exposure was only to chromite dust (not chrome salts or chrome fume). I think this is work-exacerbated asthma as chromites have not been convincingly shown to be a cause of OA. Please let me know if you have information on chromite and occupational asthma Thank you Korallus U, Ulm K, SteinmannSteinerHaldenstaett W, Bronchial carcinoma mortality in the German chromate-producing industry: the effects of process modification, Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 1993;65:171-178, Ballal SG, Respiratory symptoms and occupational bronchitis in chromite ore miners, Sudan, J Trop Med Hyg, 1986;89:223-228, Sluis-Cremer GK, Du Toit RSJ, Pneumoconiosis in Chromite Miners in South Africa, Br J Industr Med, 1968;25:63-67,

Occupational Asthma, Specialist, 5/20/2011, 5/20/2011,

Work-exacerbated aasthma implies that the worker had pre-existing asthma made worse by non-specific mechanisms, which seems less likely from your account. Occupational asthma with latency can probably be due to low-dose chronic irritation, as well as allergy. Chromite I beleave is hexavalent so would be expected to cause asthma, I dont hink it matters whether the chrome is as a issolved salt (as in electroplaters), a fume (as in welding) or as a particulate (as in pigment workers). There are some references to chromite on this website attached. If you have further information please add it

5/20/2011