Nickel-containing alloys and platings and their ability to cause dermatitis

A broad range of nickel-containing alloys and coatings used in jewellery, watches and clothes, were patch tested in 100 nickel-sensitive subjects and in 20 nickel-negative controls. Three non-plated stainless-steel alloys tested caused no patch-test reaction. Nickel interliners under gold, silver or chromium plating, as well as nickel-silver and some white-gold alloys, caused positive patch-test reactions. Ear ornaments, wristwatches and buttons were the objects most frequently causing dermatitis. Half the nickel-sensitive participants suspected that they had been sensitized before the age of 20. The results of the study have been used as the basis for developing clinically relevant analytical methods for nickel release. The methods are proposed as European Standards and will be used in the Nickel Directive, an EC regulation aiming at the prevention of nickel allergy.