American journal of industrial medicine
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Hexavalent chromium is widely recognized to be a lung carcinogen. However, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has failed to reduce the permissible exposure limit (PEL), despite having acknowledged in 1994 that the current limit is too high. In 1993, Public Citizen and the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE) petitioned to lower the PEL from the current 100 microg/m(3) to 0.5 microg/m(3) as an 8-hr time-weighted average (TWA). ⋯ U.S. workers continue to be exposed to dangerously high hexavalent chromium levels, but low exposure levels were found in some industries. Further investigations should examine whether state plans provide weaker enforcement than federal OSHA.