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Nickel metal and other compound dust

Airborne nickel metal and compound particulate generated during refining, alloy work, catalyst handling, and other industrial processes.

Airborne form

dust

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

sensitization dermatitisallergic asthmapneumonitispotential occupational cancerlung cancer concernnasal cancer concern

Carcinogenicity

Potential occupational carcinogen — nickel compounds and inorganic nickel as qualified by the cited NIOSH sources. Classification system: NIOSH, group potential occupational carcinogen.

A classification applies only to the agent and exposure described by the cited source; it is not a personal risk estimate.

Evidence

NIOSH identifies sensitization dermatitis, allergic asthma, pneumonitis, and potential occupational carcinogenicity; it lists the nasal cavities, lungs, and skin as target organs and lung and nasal cancer as cancer sites.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Exposure Limits; Exposure Routes; Symptoms; Target Organs; Cancer Site · 1
NIOSH REL Ca TWA 0.015 mg/m³. OSHA PEL TWA 1 mg/m³. Exposure Routes inhalation, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms sensitization dermatitis, allergic asthma, pneumonitis; [potential occupational carcinogen]. Target Organs Nasal cavities, lungs, skin. Cancer Site [lung and nasal cancer].

NIOSH identifies nickel compounds as potential occupational carcinogens and recommends a 0.015 mg/m³ time-weighted-average REL.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations · 1
NIOSH REL: 0.015 mg/m³ TWA; NIOSH considers nickel compounds to be potential occupational carcinogens as defined by the OSHA carcinogen policy.

A NIOSH health-hazard evaluation states that inorganic nickel is considered carcinogenic based on cancer excess in nickel refinery workers and laboratory animal studies.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 3 · Evaluation Criteria · 1
NIOSH, on the basis of cancer excess in nickel refinery workers exposed to various nickel compounds and laboratory animal studies, considers inorganic nickel to be carcinogenic and defines nickel to include elemental nickel and all other nickel compounds except organonickel compounds.

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