SKIN CONTAMINATION AND LOW AIRBORNE NICKEL EXPOSURE OF ELECTROPLATERS

The present study was performed to evaluate the role of hand and facia l contamination in the absorption of soluble nickel compounds in 41 ma le subjects employed in electroplating operations in 25 small factorie s in the province of Florence (Italy). Personal exposure to airborne n ickel ranged from 0.10 to 42 mug/m3; the median (range) urine, hands a nd face nickel levels were 4.2 (0.7-50) mug/l, 39 (1.9-547) mug, 9.0 ( 1.0-86) mug, respectively. Face nickel values explained the bulk of th e variance in urine nickel levels (42%). In stepwise multiple regressi on analysis all other variables were not significant. The log-linear m odel can be expressed as: log (urine-Ni) = 0.295 + 0.593 log (face-Ni) . Our results suggest that skin contamination, especially facial skin, plays an important role in nickel absorption in exposed workers.