Chromium and leather: a review on the chemistry of relevance for allergic contact dermatitis to chromium

As other causes decline in importance, chromium-tanned leather has become a more important source for chromium allergy, which affects around 1% of the general population. The aim of this review is to give suggestions on how to minimize the risk of leather-related allergic contact dermatitis, which can be elicited in chromium-allergic persons by hexavalent and trivalent chromium released from leather. Hexavalent chromium is the more potent chromium form and requires a lower skin dose to elicit allergic reactions. It is formed on the surface of some, antioxidant-free, leathers at dry conditions (Graphical abstract