[Evaluation of exposure and of the biological effects in galvanic chromium plating by different technologies]

In the hard electroplating process, chromium exposure is heavier than in the bright process. The average urinary chromium was 9,7 +/- 7,2 micrograms/g cr. in the 31 bright plating subjects; comparing only the chromium bath workers of the two process, the difference was statistically significant (13,0 +/- 7,5 micrograms/g cr. against 7,6 +/- 4,4 micrograms/g cr. t = 2,4; p less than 0,0025). In a control group composed of 22 sanitary workers, the average urinary chromium was 1,9 +/- 1,4 micrograms/g cr. We found chromium rhinopathy in 40% of the hard process subjects and in 20% of the bright process subjects. Sputum cytologic examination was not correlated with the chromium level exposure. In the exposed workers we found 37% insufficient specimens and 53% metaplasia plus dysplasia; in the 42 control subjects we found 64% insufficient specimens, 33% metaplasia and no dysplasia.