This essay aims to set out a balanced, scientific view on potential risks of chromium in leather, and contradicts many opinions that have been reported. Regarding Cr(lll), the report REACh Annex XV Report, Chapter B 5.8 (ECHA 2011), states that there are no reasonable issues with Cr(lll) in leather. According to a scientific investigation by the EU, (Chrome6less project: see Nothing to Hide essay eight), the formation of chromium (VI) in finished leather can be efficiently prevented using standard technologies that are available to every tanner. Even if small amounts of Cr(VI) are found in leather, modelling clearly shows that any consumer risk in terms of toxicity and cancer can be excluded. Moreover, the results from possible exposure scenarios are far below any detectable risk for a consumer wearing a garment made out of a leather substrate. There remains a potential allergy risk for a small percentage of the population if leather were to contain some Cr(VI). But it should be remembered that leather has remained as a material of choice for consumer applications for many centuries, and throughout this time there has been a high level of direct contact between leather and people's skin. In this situation, the level of chromium hypersensitivity cases is very low and less than the number of cases of a reaction to many other common products, including gold, nickel, some food ingredients, grass, or special organic compounds.
展开▼
