Nickel accumulation

Mammalian wildlife from uncontaminated habitats usually contain less than 0.1 to about 5 mg Ni/kg DW in tissues in nickel-contaminated areas, these same species have 0.5 to about 10 mg Ni/kg DW in tissues (Outridge and Scheuhammer 1993 Chau and Kulikovsky-Cordeiro 1995), with a maximum of 37 mg/kg DW in kidneys of the common shrew (Sorex araneus) (Table 6.6). Nickel accumulations in wildlife vary greatly between species. For example, tissues of mice have higher concentrations of nickel than rats and other rodents, while beavers and minks have higher nickel concentrations in their livers than birds in similar sites near Sudbury (Chau and Kulikovsky-Cordeiro 1995). 

In birds, mortality occurred in young individuals of sensitive species when rations contained more than 500 mg Ni/kg (Outridge and Scheuhammer 1993). Nickel accumulated in avian tissues at dietary loadings as low as 0.7 to 12.5 mg Ni/kg ration (Cain and Pafford 1981 Eastin and O Shea 1981 Stoewsand et al. 1984) however, nickel intoxication in some species tested was not always reflected by elevated tissue nickel concentrations (Outridge and Scheuhammer 1993). 

Exposed to 19, 32 or 51 mg/L for up to 96 h Dose- and time-dependent increase in blood glucose and lactic acid concentrations liver glycogen decreased at all nickel levels and muscle glycogen decreased at the two higher levels high nickel concentrations were associated with elevated erythrocyte number, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. Nickel accumulated in blood, liver, muscle, and especially in kidney 41... 

Local effects noted in guinea pigs, rats, mice, and hamsters caused by inhalation of metallic nickel powder (15 mg/m3), nickel subsulfide (0.97 mg/m3), or nickel oxide (53 mg/m3) include nasal sinus inflammations, ulcers, lung irritation, nickel accumulations in lungs, emphysema, and... 

Nickel accumulations in tissues and organs of mammals vary significantly with species, route of administration, sex, and general health. No significant accumulations of nickel were observed in liver or kidney of Holstein calves fed diets containing 1000 mg Ni/kg ration for 21 weeks (Stevens... 

Lee, J., R.D. Reeves, R.P. Brooks, and T. Jaffre. 1978. The relation between nickel and citric acid in some nickel-accumulating plants. Phytochemistry 17 1033-1035. 

Ontario, ranged from 80 to 5,100 ppm (Duke 1980b). A study of wetland soil-sediment in Sudbury found 9,372 and 5,518 ppm of nickel at sites located 2.0 and 3.1 km from the smelter, respectively (Taylor and Crowder 1983). Nickel concentrations declined logarithmically with increasing distance from the smelter. This indicates that nickel accumulations result from atmospheric deposition and soil runoff (Taylor and Crowder 1983). 

Jenkins DW. 1980. Nickel accumulation in aquatic biota. In Nriagu JO, ed. Nickel in the environment. New York, NY John Wiley and Sons, 283-337. 

Certain plants accumulate897 very high levels of nickel in their tissues Hybanthus floribundus contains up to 1.3% nickel on a dry mass basis, while Psychotria douarrei has up to 44% nickel in the plant ash. AUysum is also known as a nickel accumulator. A large part of the nickel in these plants is water soluble, and in the last case is associated with malic and malonic acids.898 In Hybanthus floribundus, the nickel is largely accumulated in the leaves, where it is associated with pectic carbohydrates. 

A rough surface presents more surface area on which physical absorption can occur. More protein might have been expected to adsorb on the copper and nickel films as compared to germanium due to the granular nature of these films. Only at pH 7.4 did copper and nickel accumulate more albumin than did germanium, however. Despite the macroscopic differences in surface morphology copper and nickel appeared to accumulate the same quantity of albumin. 

---