ABSTRACT
Chromium is a trace element critical to human health and well-being. Contamination of hexavalent chromium form, both in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, has increased due to various anthropogenic activities. Chromium pollution is an important ecological threat, rigorously affecting the environment and natural resources. Excessive exposure could result in its accumulation in human and animal tissues, with harmful health effects. Industrial effluents are the main sources of hexavalent chromium pollutants and their long persistence in the environment can be lethal for living organisms. Hexavalent chromium is usually non-biodegradable, which means it stays in the environment for a long time, pollutes the soil and water, and poses substantial health risks to humans and wildlife. This chapter details the sources and routes of exposure of chromium, its aetiology, pathophysiology, and clinical manifestations, and the mechanism of chromium toxicity.
