The editorial team is back from the summer break - with a wealth of news about the chromate disaster, because it's brewing everywhere, both in industry and with the authorities.
Read Part 1 of our report Chromat Alert here, Parts 2 and 3 will appear within the next two weeks.
In a recent blog article we reported on the "Prescribing information - Possible Chromium(VI) exposure by the contact of chromium-alloyed steels with materials containing alkali and alkaline earth metals of the German trade association BG ETEM. You can access the article here.
If you look for this article on the website of the professional association, you will not find it, as expected.
Perhaps people are still a bit shy, or they are just estimating how many accident pensions could be due when the members notice that the "bread and butter product" of many cooperative members turns out to be harmful to health because it is carcinogenic and toxic to the environment .
The technical information actually ends promisingly with the sentence
In the following months, further measurements will follow during revisions in order to verify the available results. This is done with the aim of analyzing the problem extensively and being able to further specify the hazard and its scope. < /em>
The measurements are carried out under realistic workplace conditions by the metrological service of the BG ETEM, the BG BAU and some state measuring bodies. We are still looking for companies to carry out the investigations and measurements where the problem can occur or who have already registered visible deposits.
and our editorial team reports regularly to the BG ETEM, but there has been no feedback so far, let alone an indication that the reports have arrived.
But we're used to silence.
The Fachverband Biogas e.V. in Freising reacts quite differently, it informs its association members who are operating in Germany over 1,000 most likely chromate-contaminated CHP engines about the latest findings of the BG ETEM on its website; here's the english version of the BG ETEM technical information (pdf download link below)
One can assume that tens of thousands of gas and steam turbines and gas and diesel engines worldwide are contaminated with chromates, which pose a massive health risk and chronic environmental pollution!
Speaking of CHP engines:
One of the world's largest gas engine manufacturers based in Tyrol, Austria recently published a so-called "Technical Instruction".
Here it says, among other things, about used insulating material:
The formation of calciumchromate (CaCrO4) is precisely described:
We were able to see for ourselves a few days later that the engine manufacturer is more than right:
We found what we were looking for as soon as we removed the first part!
Reminder:
the maximum permissible air pollution with chromium (VI) compounds at the workplace for example in Germany only one microgram per cubic meter of room air, i.e. one millionth of a gram.
See for yourself how many millionths of a gram of the carcinogenic and environmentally harmful substance (chromium (VI) compound calcium chromate) can only be swirled by dismantling just one used (calcium containing) insulating element.
By the way:
The system is located in a filling center for drinking water bottles and is operated by one of the largest food companies in the world. The water is also on your supermarket shelves!
The original document from the engine manufacturer is available to us in German and English and is welcome to be viewed.
However, as usual, due to its explosive nature, it is subject to so many restrictions that a simple publication here is unfortunately not possible for legal reasons.
The "Technical Instructions" are also not available on the company's public website, they can only be viewed by selected users via the company's intranet and must not be passed on!
Preview: Chromate-Alert, Part 2" will be available in a few days.
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Stay healthy,
Your harmfuldust editors