Access to clean and safe water is critical to public health and economic prosperity, and any presence of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen in most formulations, in drinking water is a major concern. Hexavalent chromium compounds are created as pigments for dyes, paints, inks, and plastics; added as anticorrosive protection in paints, primers, and other surface coatings; and chromic acid is electroplated onto metal parts to provide a decorative or protective coating.
As a toxin it can enter water from both natural (when chromium-bearing minerals dissolve in groundwater) and industrial (industrial waste, leather tanning, and chromium plating) sources. Compliance and regulations vary across the globe with regulatory bodies ranging from US state-level and countrywide bodies to the European Union and the World Health Organization, making it challenging to apply uniform standards. Researchers Paniteja Madala and Bhavik Manish Shah sought to understand the international regulations associated with hexavalent chromium in the water sector as well as the compliance issues water utilities encounter.
In their study “Hexavalent Chromium Regulations in the Water Sector: Compliance Challenges and Global Trends,” the authors provide a quantitative analysis of hexavalent chromium: the key compliance issues affecting water utilities, whether current treatment technologies are effective, and what trends and emerging developments will improve removal of this contaminant. This soluble, mobile contaminant is persistent, migrates in groundwater, and can impact project planning and asset management. Practicing engineers can benefit from this research, which translates emerging policy trends and technology choices into defensible, fundable, and operable compliance strategies. Learn more about the health concerns regarding hexavalent chromium and the practical realities involved in combating it in the Journal of Environmental Engineering at https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/JOEEDU.EEENG-8428. The abstract is below.
Abstract
Hexavalent chromium in drinking water is harmful due to its cancer-causing and toxic properties, which necessitate prompt and effective solutions. The researcher conducted a thorough review to examine the regulation of Cr(VI) worldwide—the compliance challenges, treatment technologies, and advancements in policies and practices within the water industry. The data clearly indicate that California’s Cr(VI) maximum contaminant level of 10 𝜇g/L is significantly more restrictive than the 100 𝜇g/L total chromium standard set by the USEPA and the 50 𝜇g/L standard from the EU, WHO, and various other organizations. Seventy percent of small utilities in the US face clear compliance challenges due to the high costs ($100–$300 per sample) of testing for Cr(VI) and the complex nature of standard treatment methods, which can cost between $1 million and $5 million in capital. Common wastewater treatments effectively remove contaminants; however, there are challenges concerning their sensitivity and the management of the toxic waste they generate. These new approaches can eliminate between 90% and 95% of metals, with roughly 80% to 90% of those metals being removed through biological processes, achieving a cost reduction of up to 50%. With new policies that include standards for Cr(VI), full-time monitoring (which saves about 20%), and international data sharing, along with convenient new analyzers, there are now more strategies to tackle Cr(VI) issues. Among the existing research gaps are the lack of global standards, insufficient low-cost alternatives, and inadequate studies on long-term outcomes. Researchers advocate for the approval of measures to harmonize regulations, enhance funding for smaller utilities, and encourage public–private partnerships to ensure safe drinking water for all, as well as develop solutions to combat Cr(VI) issues.
Learn more about how you can benefit from this research and make it part of your compliance strategies in the ASCE Library: https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/JOEEDU.EEENG-8428.
