Chromium (Cr) is one of the known environmental toxic pollutants in the world which is from group VIII element of the first transition series and has a hard brittle gray transition metal with atomic number 24 and relative atomic mass 51.99 g/mol. Chromium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, animals, plants, and soil. It can exit in several different forms and the most common forms are chromium, chromium (III) and chromium (IV). The major industrial application of chromium include the processes for making steel, chrome plating, dyes and pigments, leather tanning operations, and wood preserving (Guertin, 2004).
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ATSDR, (2012) Chromium can be found in air, soil, and water after release from the manufacture, use, disposal of chromium-based products, and during the manufacturing process. This metal does not remain in atmosphere but it is usually deposited in soils and water and can easily change from one form to another depending on the conditions present. Chromium (Cr) is considered an essential nutrient for good health in moderate intake. Many ways that can cause people exposed to chromium including eating food habit, drinking contaminated water, contaminated air in workplace and living near uncontrolled hazardous waste or industries that use chromium. The concentration
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Cadmium that occurs naturally in the environment found at low levels but it can greatly increase to high concentration levels due to the human activity. Most cadmium has been used for manufacturing nickel-cadmium batteries. Paint pigments, stabilizers in many plastics and electroplating industry are also the example function of cadmium. The cadmium present in the atmosphere usually from human activities especially smelting of non-ferrous metal ores, fossil fuel combustion and municipal waste incineration (ATSDR,