Since 1986, California has classified hexavalent chrome as a toxic air contaminant to which there is no safe level of exposure. Despite that, it remains the ingredient used in chrome plating, but California is looking to change that with a new proposed ban on the substance.
Hardened chrome is harmless, meaning that you don’t have to worry about your classic car’s bumper or trim. If it needs to be re-chromed, though, there are risks for those in around the plating facilities.
That’s because the process of chrome plating involves dipping a part into a tank of liquid through which an electric current is run, allowing hexavalent chrome to adhere to it. The process causes the liquid to bubble and burst, releasing dangerous vapors into the air.
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