CHRONIC INTERSTITIAL NEPHROPATHY AFTER PLASMA CUTTING IN STAINLESS-STEEL

Chromium is nephrotoxic in experimental animals. In subjects with acut e chromium intoxication acute nephritis has been reported and renal fu nction has been affected in chromium exposed workers with a high urina ry chromium concentration. Chronic kidney disease after long term occu pational exposure to chromium has, however, not been reported previous ly. A case report is presented concerning a 48 year old man who was di agnosed with chronic interstitial nephropathy. He had worked for nine years as a plasma cutter of stainless steel and had thereby been expos ed to smoke containing chromium. At the time of diagnosis his blood ch romium concentration was seven times higher and his urinary chromium c oncentration six times higher than reference values. Taking into accou nt the nephrotoxicity of chromium and the high chromium burden of this patient it is considered likely that his exposure to smoke from plasm a cutting of stainless steel was the cause of his chronic interstitial nephropathy.