Taking the "hex" out of hexavalent chromium

Hexavalent Chromium, or chromium six (Cr^VI) is the environmental toxin that made Erin Brokovich a household name. I've grown accustomed to the fact that we get phone calls from worried customers every time the news mentions chromium contamination in the local ground water.

After assuring them the stuff isn't detected in our supply, I have often told customers that if they're really worried about it, they can get some vitamin C crystals and drop a pinch into their water before they use it. Vitamin C reduces Cr^VI to Cr^III, which is a nutrient. In fact, people shell out their hard-earned money at health food stores for the stuff.

Now I have a newspaper article in my files which I can fax to worried customers.

Oh. The article discusses a PG&E project to inject substances into the ground water that will reduce the Cr^VI to Cr^III in situ, before it's ever pumped to the surface.