Baby Safety / Compounds / Chromium(III) / Trivalent Chromium

Is Chromium(III) / Trivalent Chromium safe for babies and kids?

Moderate risk for kids

Infants are more vulnerable to Chromium(III) / Trivalent Chromium than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

What is chromium(iii) / trivalent chromium?

The IUPAC name is chromium.

Also known as: chromium, Chrome, Chromium metal, Chrom.

IUPAC name: chromium
CAS number: 7440-47-3
Molecular formula: Cr
Molecular weight: 51.996 g/mol
SMILES: [Cr]
PubChem CID: 23976

Risk for babies

Moderate risk

Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.

What to do: Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Low risk

Chromium(III) is not classified as a reproductive or developmental toxicant. Dietary chromium (essential trace element) does not pose risk to pregnant women or developing fetuses. Systemic absorption is limited; no accumulation in pregnancy-relevant tissues. Occupational inhalation exposure should be controlled via standard industrial hygiene practices.

Regulatory consensus

7 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Chromium(III) / Trivalent Chromium. The classifications differ — that's the data.

Agency	Year	Classification	Notes
IARC	1990	Group 3 (Not classifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans)	Insufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and animals to establish carcinogenic classification. Inhalation of Cr(III) dust in occupational settings does not demonstrate convincing carcinogenic risk compared to Cr(VI)
US EPA	2024	Not designated as carcinogen	Chromium(III) is not listed in EPA's reference dose or reference concentration assessments for carcinogenicity. Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) at trace dietary levels; OSHA PEL for inhalation 5 mg/m³
NTP	2024	Not listed	Chromium(III) compounds are not included in the National Toxicology Program Report on Carcinogens due to lack of sufficient evidence of carcinogenic potential
EPA CTX / IARC	—	Group 3 - Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans
EPA CTX / Health Canada	—	Group I: CEPA (carcinogenic to humans)
EPA CTX / Genetox	—	Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 1 positive / 5 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox	—	Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 1 positive / 5 negative reports)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter chromium(iii) / trivalent chromium

Contaminated Water — Mining site runoff, Industrial discharge areas, Drinking water from old infrastructure
Soil Contamination — Industrial sites, Smelter areas, Battery recycling facilities
Food Chain — Fish from contaminated waters, Shellfish from polluted areas, Crops grown in contaminated soil

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Chromium(III) / Trivalent Chromium:

Tocopherol (Vitamin E) based antioxidants
Trade-offs: Lower thermal stability than synthetic BHT/BHA for some polymer applications.

Relative cost: 2-5× conventional

Frequently asked questions

Is chromium(iii) / trivalent chromium safe for kids?

What products contain chromium(iii) / trivalent chromium?

Chromium(III) / Trivalent Chromium appears in: Mining site runoff (Contaminated water); Industrial discharge areas (Contaminated water); Industrial sites (Soil contamination); Smelter areas (Soil contamination); Fish from contaminated waters (Food chain).

What should I do if my child is exposed to chromium(iii) / trivalent chromium?

Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Why do regulators disagree about chromium(iii) / trivalent chromium?

Chromium(III) / Trivalent Chromium has been classified by 7 agencies including IARC, US EPA, NTP, EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / Health Canada, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Chromium(III) / Trivalent Chromium in the baby app

Look up products containing chromium(iii) / trivalent chromium, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (5)

IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans — Chromium, Nickel and Welding (Volume 49) (1990) — regulatory
US EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) — Chromium(III) (2024) — regulatory
National Research Council — Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2005) — regulatory
OSHA Inorganic Chromium(III) Occupational Exposure Standard — 29 CFR 1910.1000 (1990) — regulatory
Occupational Exposure to Chromium(III) Compounds — Respiratory and Systemic Effects in Tanning and Welding Industries (2018) — research

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →