• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.213-225
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• 2021

Objectives: This study identifies the trends in possible and probable occupational disease among chromium workers and reviews the literature on domestic and foreign chromium workers to review the industries, biological exposure levels, and major results. Methods: The results of the Ministry of Employment and Labor's special health-screening program for hazard agents among workers from 2009 to 2019 were used. Also, the industries, biological exposure levels, and major results on chromium workers were reviewed using PubMed and RISS. Results: The average annual proportion of both possible and probable occupational disease for chromium workers has recently increased. The average annual proportion of possible and probable occupational disease that can occur was high for both men and women in their 60s or older by age and 10 to 14 years by work duration. By industry, possible occupational disease showed high in manufacturing. In the literature review, many electroplating-related chromium-workers reported high levels of exposure to blood and urine chromium, as did dental technicians; tannery, tile factory or glass mill workers; cement workers; and sodium bichromate workers. Furthermore, a number of main findings in recent studies have reported that chromium exposure is related to genetic toxicity among workers. Conclusions: In this study, the average annual rate of both possible and probable occupational disease in domestic chromium workers is increasing, and a body of literature shows that chromium exposure is related to genetic toxicity and associated indicators among workers, which requires more systematic study.