Chromium, A Heavy Metal with Both Beneficial and Harmful Effects: A Global Perspective

Abstract

Chromium is a heavy metal present in the atmosphere, water, soil and the biosphere. It is useful in the human body for metabolic activities as a trace element but its excess accumulation in the body through inhalation, prolonged contacts and ingestions in foods, drinks, and water could lead to toxicity leading to diseases. Due to its non-specific clinical presentations, and in the advent of toxicity in human body could go on over prolonged periods of time with probable wrong diagnoses and treatments as a result of health personnel capability and availability of both equipment and drugs. This short communication tries to re-awaken the consciousness of the medical community and the rest of the society about the dangers of chromium toxicity. This will help widen the scope of thinking horizon of health personnel managing patients presenting with varying and undefined clinical picture about the possibility of the involvement of chromium.