Elements · ← V Vanadium · Mn Manganese →
Toxic chromate, a form of chromium, can be made less harmful by bacteria.
| Symbol | Cr |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 24 |
| Standard atomic weight | 51.996 |
| Group | 6 |
| Period | 4 |
| Block | d-block |
| Category | Transition metal |
| Standard state | Solid |
| Discovered | 1797 |
Source: PubChem, Chromium (periodic table data, retrieved 2026-10-19). Group and period follow the standard 18-column periodic table.
Wielinga and colleagues showed the iron-reducing bacterium Shewanella alga BrY, together with iron oxides, completely reduced toxic chromate (Cr(VI)) to Cr(III); reduction through iron was much faster than the bacteria's direct enzymatic reduction.
As reported in: Wielinga, Mizuba, Hansel et al. (2000). Iron Promoted Reduction of Chromate by Dissimilatory Iron-Reducing Bacteria. Environmental Science & Technology. doi:10.1021/es001457b
Abstract only
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