Nickel subsulfide: Environmental effects
Description
Nickel and its compounds have high acute (short-term) toxicity to aquatic life. They also have high chronic (long-term) toxicity to aquatic life. Insufficient data are available to evaluate the effects on plants, birds, or land animals. Nickel and its compounds are highly persistent in the environment and will bioaccumulate, or become concentrated in the tissues of animals.
Entering the environment
Industrial emissions of nickel subsulfide can produce elevated, but still low level concentrations in the atmosphere around the source. It will be carried by wind currents.
Where it ends up
Nickel subsulfide is a powder that will be deposited where wind currents from the manufacturing site carry it.
Environmental guidelines
Australian Water Quality Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Waters (ANZECC, 1992):
For nickel:
Fresh waters: Maximum of 15 to 150 micrograms per Litre (i.e. 0.000015 to 0.00015 g/L), depending on water hardness.
Marine waters: Maximum of 15 micrograms per Litre (i.e. 0.000015 g/L).
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