Safe Use of Nickel in the Workplace: Toxicity of Nickel Compounds
5. TOXICITY OF NICKEL COMPOUNDS
5. TOXICITY OF NICKEL COMPOUNDS
The
major routes of nickel exposure that have toxicological relevance to
the workplace are inhalation and dermal exposures. Oral exposures can
also occur (e.g., hand to mouth contact), but the institution of good industrial hygiene practices (e.g.,
washing hands before eating) can greatly help to minimize such
exposures. Therefore, this chapter mainly focuses on the target systems
affected by the former routes (i.e., the respiratory system and
the skin). To the extent that other routes (such as oral exposures) may
play a role in the overall toxicity of nickel and its compounds, these
routes are also briefly mentioned. Focus is on the individual nickel
species most relevant to the workplace, namely, metallic nickel and
nickel alloys, oxidic, sulfidic and soluble nickel compounds, and
nickel carbonyl.