From biomonitoring studies to lowered occupational exposure limits for hexavalent chromium

Karin Broberg; Anne Thoustrup Saber; Malin Engfeldt; Pete Kines; Zheshun Jiang; Martin Tondel; Maria Albin; Linda Schenk; Ulla Vogel

doi:10.1016/j.socimp.2026.100165

From biomonitoring studies to lowered occupational exposure limits for hexavalent chromium

Karin Broberg
, Anne Thoustrup Saber
, Malin Engfeldt
, Pete Kines
, Zheshun Jiang
, Martin Tondel
, Maria Albin
, Linda Schenk
, Ulla Vogel

Lund University
Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Uppsala University
Karolinska Institutet
Centre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden.
National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Occupational exposure to the carcinogen hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] occurs during stainless steel production, welding, and chrome plating. Two sister-projects, SafeChrom and SAM-Krom, were initiated in Sweden and Denmark, respectively, to inform stakeholders, decision-makers and regulators on current occupational exposure to Cr(VI), and preventive measures prior to revision of national occupational exposure limits (OELs) for Cr(VI). Both studies were cross-sectional, involving exposed workers and controls. Cr(VI) exposure was assessed as inhalable Cr(VI), urinary Cr and Cr(VI) content in red blood cells. Both studies found increased air Cr(VI) concentrations associated with increased levels of urinary Cr and Cr(VI) in red blood cells. Air levels of Cr(VI), urinary Cr and blood levels of Cr(VI) were highest among Danish chrome platers. Furthermore, Cr(VI) exposure levels exceeding Danish OEL were found for trainees performing welding at a vocational school. Interviews with managers at Swedish workplaces indicated that OELs have an important role as baseline for acceptable exposures, but revealed low awareness of the socio-economic trade-offs for the Cr(VI) OELs. The two studies enabled evidence-based decision-making resulting in lower Cr(VI) OELs in Denmark and Sweden in 2025–2026, highlighting the value of a coordinated Nordic collaboration and stakeholder engagement in supporting evidence-based regulation.

Original language	English
Journal	Societal Impacts
Volume	7
ISSN	2949-6977
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socimp.2026.100165
Publication status	Published - Jan 2026

Keywords

Chrome-6
Hexavalent chrome
Evidence-based decision-making
Societal impact

Access to Document

10.1016/j.socimp.2026.100165

1 Active
2 Finished

FFIKA: Fornyet fokus på forskning i kemisk arbejdsmiljø
Vogel, U. B. (Project Manager), Jensen, K. A. (Project Participant), Jensen, A. C. Ø. (Project Participant), Berthing, T. (Project Participant), Andersen, M. H. G. (Project Participant), Hougaard, K. S. (Project Participant), Clausen, P. A. (Project Participant), Frederiksen, M. (Project Participant), Mortensen, A. (Project Participant), Saber, A. T. (Project Participant), Jacobsen, N. R. (Project Participant), Akhtar, Y. (Project Participant), Asp, A.-K. (Project Participant), Abildtrup, A. (Project Participant), Tegner, U. (Project Participant), Terrida, E. B. (Project Participant), Guldbrandsen, M. (Project Participant), Kembouche, Y. (Project Participant), Kofoed-Sørensen, V. (Project Participant), Nielsen, S. H. (Project Participant), Sahlgren, N. M. (Project Participant), Fonseca, A. S. (Project Participant), Danielsen, P. H. (Project Participant), Sørli, J. B. (Project Participant), Hadrup, N. (Project Participant), Ardenkjær-Skinnerup, J. (Project Participant), Nøjgaard, J. N. K. (Project Participant), Jørgensen, A. K. (Project Participant), Gutierrez, C. A. T. (Project Participant) & Brostrøm, A. (Project Participant)
01/01/2020 → 31/12/2026
Project: Research
Sam-krom tillægsbevilling
Saber, A. T. (Project Manager), Jacobsen, N. R. (Research Manager), Vogel, U. B. (Project Participant) & Abildtrup, A. (Project Participant)
01/01/2021 → 31/10/2024
Project: Research
SAM-KROM: Sikkert Arbejde med Krom 6
Saber, A. T. (Project Manager), Vogel, U. B. (Project Participant) & Kines, P. (Project Participant)
01/10/2019 → 31/10/2024
Project: Research

Cite this

@article{c70d9f2cf7a74cd8bed4b615df457ee1,

title = "From biomonitoring studies to lowered occupational exposure limits for hexavalent chromium",

abstract = "Occupational exposure to the carcinogen hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] occurs during stainless steel production, welding, and chrome plating. Two sister-projects, SafeChrom and SAM-Krom, were initiated in Sweden and Denmark, respectively, to inform stakeholders, decision-makers and regulators on current occupational exposure to Cr(VI), and preventive measures prior to revision of national occupational exposure limits (OELs) for Cr(VI). Both studies were cross-sectional, involving exposed workers and controls. Cr(VI) exposure was assessed as inhalable Cr(VI), urinary Cr and Cr(VI) content in red blood cells. Both studies found increased air Cr(VI) concentrations associated with increased levels of urinary Cr and Cr(VI) in red blood cells. Air levels of Cr(VI), urinary Cr and blood levels of Cr(VI) were highest among Danish chrome platers. Furthermore, Cr(VI) exposure levels exceeding Danish OEL were found for trainees performing welding at a vocational school. Interviews with managers at Swedish workplaces indicated that OELs have an important role as baseline for acceptable exposures, but revealed low awareness of the socio-economic trade-offs for the Cr(VI) OELs. The two studies enabled evidence-based decision-making resulting in lower Cr(VI) OELs in Denmark and Sweden in 2025–2026, highlighting the value of a coordinated Nordic collaboration and stakeholder engagement in supporting evidence-based regulation.",

keywords = "Krom, Fra forskning til praksis, Gr{\ae}nsev{\ae}rdier, Samfundsm{\ae}ssigt aftryk, Chrome-6, Hexavalent chrome, Evidence-based decision-making, Societal impact",

author = "Karin Broberg and Saber, \{Anne Thoustrup\} and Malin Engfeldt and Pete Kines and Zheshun Jiang and Martin Tondel and Maria Albin and Linda Schenk and Ulla Vogel",

year = "2026",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1016/j.socimp.2026.100165",

language = "English",

volume = "7",

journal = "Societal Impacts",

issn = "2949-6977",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - From biomonitoring studies to lowered occupational exposure limits for hexavalent chromium

AU - Broberg, Karin

AU - Saber, Anne Thoustrup

AU - Engfeldt, Malin

AU - Kines, Pete

AU - Jiang, Zheshun

AU - Tondel, Martin

AU - Albin, Maria

AU - Schenk, Linda

AU - Vogel, Ulla

PY - 2026/1

Y1 - 2026/1

N2 - Occupational exposure to the carcinogen hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] occurs during stainless steel production, welding, and chrome plating. Two sister-projects, SafeChrom and SAM-Krom, were initiated in Sweden and Denmark, respectively, to inform stakeholders, decision-makers and regulators on current occupational exposure to Cr(VI), and preventive measures prior to revision of national occupational exposure limits (OELs) for Cr(VI). Both studies were cross-sectional, involving exposed workers and controls. Cr(VI) exposure was assessed as inhalable Cr(VI), urinary Cr and Cr(VI) content in red blood cells. Both studies found increased air Cr(VI) concentrations associated with increased levels of urinary Cr and Cr(VI) in red blood cells. Air levels of Cr(VI), urinary Cr and blood levels of Cr(VI) were highest among Danish chrome platers. Furthermore, Cr(VI) exposure levels exceeding Danish OEL were found for trainees performing welding at a vocational school. Interviews with managers at Swedish workplaces indicated that OELs have an important role as baseline for acceptable exposures, but revealed low awareness of the socio-economic trade-offs for the Cr(VI) OELs. The two studies enabled evidence-based decision-making resulting in lower Cr(VI) OELs in Denmark and Sweden in 2025–2026, highlighting the value of a coordinated Nordic collaboration and stakeholder engagement in supporting evidence-based regulation.

AB - Occupational exposure to the carcinogen hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] occurs during stainless steel production, welding, and chrome plating. Two sister-projects, SafeChrom and SAM-Krom, were initiated in Sweden and Denmark, respectively, to inform stakeholders, decision-makers and regulators on current occupational exposure to Cr(VI), and preventive measures prior to revision of national occupational exposure limits (OELs) for Cr(VI). Both studies were cross-sectional, involving exposed workers and controls. Cr(VI) exposure was assessed as inhalable Cr(VI), urinary Cr and Cr(VI) content in red blood cells. Both studies found increased air Cr(VI) concentrations associated with increased levels of urinary Cr and Cr(VI) in red blood cells. Air levels of Cr(VI), urinary Cr and blood levels of Cr(VI) were highest among Danish chrome platers. Furthermore, Cr(VI) exposure levels exceeding Danish OEL were found for trainees performing welding at a vocational school. Interviews with managers at Swedish workplaces indicated that OELs have an important role as baseline for acceptable exposures, but revealed low awareness of the socio-economic trade-offs for the Cr(VI) OELs. The two studies enabled evidence-based decision-making resulting in lower Cr(VI) OELs in Denmark and Sweden in 2025–2026, highlighting the value of a coordinated Nordic collaboration and stakeholder engagement in supporting evidence-based regulation.

KW - Krom

KW - Fra forskning til praksis

KW - Grænseværdier

KW - Samfundsmæssigt aftryk

KW - Chrome-6

KW - Hexavalent chrome

KW - Evidence-based decision-making

KW - Societal impact

U2 - 10.1016/j.socimp.2026.100165

DO - 10.1016/j.socimp.2026.100165

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2949-6977

VL - 7

JO - Societal Impacts

JF - Societal Impacts

ER -

From biomonitoring studies to lowered occupational exposure limits for hexavalent chromium

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Projects

FFIKA: Fornyet fokus på forskning i kemisk arbejdsmiljø

Sam-krom tillægsbevilling

SAM-KROM: Sikkert Arbejde med Krom 6

Cite this