Chromium 6 levels in Californian air now 'safe'

After high levels of the toxic substance Chromium 6 were detected in the air in Davenport, California over the summer, the air has now been declared safe.

The Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District has conducted tests which found that the air in the region is now safe following the scare.

Chromium 6 was detected in the air surrounding the area's Cemex cement factory in June and August.

Ed Kendig, spokesperson for the air district, described the news as "promising".

"We have to remember it will take a long period of stable operations and monitoring before we can draw conclusions about how satisfactory the plant's emissions are," he added.

The kiln at Cemex stopped operating two months ago and there has not yet been a date set for its re-commissioning.

In March this year, the National Toxicology Programme revealed that after two years of study, it had determined that Chromium 6 can cause cancer in animals if consumed in drinking water.