Overview#
Hexavalent chromium is the Cr(VI) oxidation state of chromium, and it is carcinogenic when inhaled. Ordinary trivalent chromium, Cr(III), is much less harmful, so the restriction targets the hexavalent form specifically.
Where it's restricted#
RoHS caps hexavalent chromium at 0.1 percent by weight per homogeneous material. It is also restricted in vehicles under ELV.
Several chromium(VI) compounds, including chromium trioxide and dichromates, sit on the REACH Authorisation list, which means their use needs specific authorisation. See Authorisation (REACH) for how that works, and the REACH annexes reference for where Annex XIV sits.
RoHS and REACH look at different things#
The two regimes are easy to conflate because both name Cr(VI). They ask different questions.
How much Cr(VI) is in each homogeneous material of an electrical or electronic product placed on the market. The limit is 0.1 percent by weight.
Whether a listed Cr(VI) substance, such as chromium trioxide in a plating bath, may be placed on the market for a use or used in the EU at all. There is no concentration limit to stay under: after the sunset date the use needs an authorisation.
Two Annex XIV entries cover the substances used most in chrome plating, and both passed their sunset date in 2017:
Grants for these substances are still being made, for named companies and named uses, each with its own review period. Three decisions of 10 September 2026, published in the Official Journal on 17 September 2026, show the range:
All three were granted because the socio-economic benefits outweigh the risk and there are no suitable alternatives (Article 60(4) REACH), not because the risk was shown to be adequately controlled.
Typical uses#
Cr(VI) has been used for corrosion-resistant coatings and passivation layers, and in surface treatment of metals. Trivalent alternatives have replaced it in many of these processes.
Only the hexavalent form is restricted. A chromium plating or coating can be compliant if it uses Cr(III) chemistry rather than Cr(VI).