Sodium Dichromate

Cancer Terms -> Drugs and Chemicals -> Chemical Modifier -> Carcinogen -> Chemical Carcinogen -> Inorganic Carcinogen -> Carcinogenic Metal -> Chromium Hexavalent Compound -> Sodium Dichromate

Sodium Dichromate Definition

An orange to red colored, crystalline, inorganic compound that emits toxic chromium fumes upon heating. Sodium dichromate is highly corrosive and is a strong oxidizing agent. This substance is mainly used to produce other chromium compounds, but is also used in drilling muds, in metal treatments, in wood preservatives, in the production of dyes and organic chemicals and as a corrosion inhibitor. Sodium dichromate primarily affects the respiratory system causing ulcerations, shortness of breath, bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma but can also affect the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys and immune system. This substance is a known human carcinogen and is associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer and cancer of the sinonasal cavity. (NCI05)