A team led by Prof. Beata Krasnodębska-Ostręga from the UW’s Faculty, in collaboration with the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute for Sustainable Technology, has developed innovative analytical procedures to study chromium leaching from leather products. Their findings were published in the prestigious Journal of Hazardous Materials.
Chromium is primarily used in leather production for tanning animal hides. It helps make leather durable, soft, supple, and resistant to decay. Depending on its chemical form, chromium can also have harmful effects.
Eco-friendly determination of chromium
The main objective of the study carried out by researchers from the UW’s Faculty of Chemistry and the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute for Sustainable Technology was to create advanced analytical scenarios for precise differentiation and determination of trivalent chromium – Cr(III) and toxic hexavalent chromium – Cr(VI). The work of chemists addresses a significant gap in safety assessment protocols where current regulations focus solely on Cr(VI), neglecting Cr(III) leaching and its potential oxidation to toxic Cr(VI) during leather use or disposal. The article entitled “Analytical scenarios for Cr(III) and Cr(VI) determination in extracts of leather: Assessing Cr leaching under simulated use conditions” was published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.
To provide a more comprehensive risk assessment, the researchers developed three analytical scenarios for group chromium speciation utilizing physiologically relevant extractants (such as sweat-mimicking lactic acid and ammonia solutions) to simulate realistic usage conditions.
Integrating simple sample preparation via selective solid-phase extraction with UV photolysis and accessible UV-Vis spectrophotometry, the method eliminates hazardous chemical reagents. This gives the procedure an eco-friendly (‘green’) character and facilitates its implementation in routine quality control.
Successfully validated on diverse leathers, including those tanned with recycled chromium, the method supports the ecological design of leather products.