A comprehensive study of nickel levels in everyday items in Brazil

Background Nickel is a ubiquitous element used in many everyday items. In recent decades nickel has become a leading allergen, which has become a public health problem. Objective To evaluate frequently used nickel products in Brazil. We investigated if these objects release nickel that is capable of inducing sensitization or cause clinical manifestations in terms of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Methods Dimethylglyoxime (DMG) spot tests assessed nickel release from several common utensils used in everyday life in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Results We tested 46 coins (two denominations) and 90 common utensils. Approximately 91.1% produced nickel-positive results using the DMG spot test. Conclusions The DMG limit of detection was 1.67 ppm of nickel. We observed that many objects in our test series released nickel above the DMG test limit. This observation suggests that nickel-sensitive individuals may be exposed to nickel, representing a public health issue.