Solubility of nickel powder in human serum

The solubility of nickel powder was studied to estimate the inertness of the nickel metal in contact with deionized distilled water, saline solution, a chelating agent, ethylenediamine tetraacetate, and human serum. The human serum dissolved more than two times as much nickel as the saline solution and almost six times as much nickel as the EDTA solution in the first 24 h of the experiment. The resultant solubility curve can be an indication of the level of toxicity of an individual nickel compound or alloy. The degree of solubility may also be important in further studies on the mechanisms of nickel carcinogenesis.