Brenda Cortes
SCI 175
Maria West
September 21, 2004

The San Fernando Valley Basin is an important source of drinking water for the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the cities of Glendale, Burbank, and San Fernando, La Canada- Flintridge, and the unincorporated area of La Crescenta. In 1998, The Upper Los Angeles River Area Watermaster notified the USEPA and SWRCB that hexavalent chromium was being detected in SFV wells. Since then, an inter-agency committee, the Chromium Task Force, has focused its attention on understanding the nature of the problem. The task force meets quarterly to share information and to keep its members informed of developments regarding hexavalent chromium contamination. There are two chemical forms of chromium. Chromium compounds have no taste or odor. The issue is Chromium contamination was found in the soil and groundwater has occurred in the SFV and other areas in southern California. Cr+6 has been detected in production and groundwater monitoring wells in the San Fernando Valley area. Cr+6 has been consistently detected in some shallow and deep monitoring wells primarily in the North Hollywood, Glendale, Burbank and Pollock Operable Units, from depths ranging from 31feet to as deep as 580 feet below ground surface. Hexavalent Chromium affects occupational asthma, eye irritation and damage, perforated eardrums, respiratory irritation, kidney damage, liver damage, pulmonary congestion and edema, upper abdominal pain, nose irritation and damage, respiratory cancer, skin irritation, and erosion and discoloration of the teeth. Some workers can also develop an allergic skin reaction, called allergic contact dermatitis. This occurs from handling liquids or solids containing Cr(VI) such as portland cement. Allergic contact dermatitis is long-lasting and more severe with repeated skin exposure. Furthermore, contact with non-intact skin can lead to ulceration of the skin sometimes referred to as chrome ulcers. Chrome ulcers are crusted, painless lesions showing a pitted ulcer covered with fluid. The environmental regulations related to this issue are standards require employers to use feasible engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposures at or below the permissible exposure limit (PEL). Wherever feasible engineering and work practice controls are not sufficient to reduce employee exposure to or below the PEL, the employer must use such controls to reduce employee exposure to the lowest levels achievable, then supplement with respiratory protection and, in general industry, establish a regulated area to warn employees and limit access. Where a hazard is present or is likely to be present from skin or eye contact with Cr(VI) the employer must provide appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment. The Cr(VI) standards addresses other protective measures related to Cr(VI) exposure, including hygiene areas and practices, housekeeping and cleaning methods, medical surveillance, and employee information and training. The rule revises a provision in OSHA's Hexavalent Chromium standard that required workers be notified only when they experienced exposures exceeding the permissible exposure limit. Workers exposed to this toxic chemical are at greater risk for lung cancer and damage to the nose, throat and respiratory tract.

Much research has focused on the remediation of Cr(VI) and many treatment processes have been developed. Considering the value of implementing more dynamic and realistic approaches to streamline assessment and cleanup activities at hazardous waste sites, this study proposes a field screening method for analysis of Cr(VI) in soils. After years of trying to craft an exposure standard for hexavalent chromium that would stand up under expected court challenges, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final standard.Under the standard, the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for exposure to hexavalent chromium will be lowered from 52 to 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air, as an 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA). Also included in the standard are specifications for controlling exposures, respiratory protection, protective clothing and equipment, medical surveillance, hazard communication and record keeping. Hexavalent chromium compounds are widely used in pigments, metal plating and chemical synthesis. Potential adverse human health effects include lung cancer, nasal septum perforation, skin ulceration, allergic sensitization and contact dermatitis.