Nickel & compounds: Health effects
Description
This depends on how much nickel a person has been exposed to, for how long, the nature of the nickel compound(s), and current state of health. A small amount of nickel is probably essential for humans, although a lack of nickel has not been found to the health of humans. An allergic skin reaction is the most common adverse health effect in people who are sensitive to nickel. People can become sensitive to nickel when jewellery or other products containing nickel are in direct contact with the skin. Once a person is sensitised to nickel, further contact with nickel will produce a reaction, most commonly a skin rash at the site of contact (dermatitis). Less frequently, some sensitised persons may have asthma attacks following exposure to nickel. Some people may react when they eat nickel in food, drink it in water, or breathe dust containing it. People who are not sensitive to nickel must eat very large amounts of nickel to show adverse health effects.
Exposure to nickel salts can cause 'nickel itch', which causes burning and itching sensations in the hands, followed by abnormal redness of the skin and nodular eruption on the web of fingers, wrists and forearms. Nickel salts act as emetics when swallowed. Workers who accidentally drank water containing very high levels of nickel (100,000 times more than in normal drinking water) had stomach aches, and blood and kidney disorders. Nickel dust is irritating to the eyes, nose and throat. Lung effects, including chronic bronchitis, reduced lung function, and lung cancer, as well as nasal effects, including rhinitis, nasal sinusitis, nasal mucosal injury and sinus cancer, have been observed in workers who breathed high levels of nickel while working in nickel refineries or nickel processing plants. Nickel platers exposed to nickel sulfate and welders exposed to nickel oxides have been linked with asthma. Evidence for the carcinogenicity of nickel metal and other compounds is relatively weak or inconclusive, but insoluble dusts of nickel oxides, and soluble aerosols of nickel sulfate, nitrate, and chloride, have been implicated as potential carcinogens.
Entering the body
Nickel and compounds can be inhaled or ingested.
Exposure
Major sources of exposure for most people are by eating food and drinking water which contain natural amounts of nickel. Breathing cigarette smoke or smoking tobacco is another way of being exposed to nickel. Skin contact with nickel can occur when handling coins, touching other nickel containing metals, or wearing nickel jewellery. Elevated levels of nickel may be encountered near industries using nickel and/or nickel compounds. Occupational exposure can occur in industries using nickel in various forms.
Health guidelines
Worksafe Australia defines nickel as hazardous and has set various nickel exposure standards, namely 1 milligram/m3 (TWA) for nickel metal, 1 milligram/m3 (TWA) for nickel sulfide roasting (fume & dust) (as Ni), and 0.1 milligram/m3 (TWA) for soluble nickel compounds (as Ni).
Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (NHMRC and ARMCANZ, 1996):
Maximum of 0.02 mg/L (i.e. 0.00002 g/L)
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