Studying the Health Effects of Nickel
THE MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO NICKEL AND ITS APPLICATIONS
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ORIGINALLY FROM ARGENTINA, Dr. Adriana Oller, joined NiPERA in 1994 after receiving her Ph.D. in genetic
toxicology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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ONE OF THE MAJOR focuses of Oller’s research is to investigate the risks of respiratory cancer in an
occupational setting.
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Dr. Adriana Oller manages a sophisticated series of scientific studies designed to evaluate
health risks by Virginia Heffernan
Nickel Magazine, November 2006 -- When the results of a multi-year study on nickel’s role as an oral carcinogen confirmed that nickel was not a carcinogen through oral exposure, Dr. Adriana Oller had one of those “Eureka!” moments that scientists can sometimes wait a lifetime to experience.
Before the study, there was already evidence to suggest that oral exposure to nickel did not pose a cancer risk, but the research results had always been inconclusive. The Nickel Producers Environmental Research Association (NiPERA), a division of the Nickel Institute, commissioned the animal study to finally prove this one way or the other and this study is the first of its kind to demonstrate conclusively that the evidence was right – nickel is not an oral carcinogen.
“We knew the study was appropriately conducted, but we didn’t know the outcome until after the study had ended and the tissues were analyzed,” says Oller, who manages NiPERA’s mutagenicity and carcinogenicity research programs. “I was happy when the report came back from the laboratory concluding that nickel was not an oral carcinogen.”
The results are now being reflected in regulatory standards for nickel drafted by the Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization, and the European Union (see: “Raising Drinking Water Guidelines,” March 2006, Nickel Magazine).
Originally from Argentina, Oller, now 49, joined NiPERA in 1994 after receiving a Ph.D. in genetic toxicology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a M.Sc. in biochemistry from Buenos Aires University. She is charged with the challenging and complex task of evaluating the human health effects of exposure to nickel in all its forms.
For example, one of the major concerns for human health in an occupational setting is the possibility of respiratory cancer. As a result, research on the effects of dust in nickel refineries is a priority for Oller. But because nickel occurs in so many different compounds within the refinery setting, trying to isolate effects isn’t easy.
“The compounds are not all the same; some are more potent than others, some may only play an ancillary role and some may be benign,” says Oller. “We’re trying to understand the levels at which effects occur and develop methods that allow us to differentiate between the different groups. It’s an ongoing challenge and an important issue because the classifications of carcinogenity, particularly in Europe, can have serious consequences.”
As nickel producers become increasingly global, Oller expects her research to focus more on developing common methodologies to assess risk so that standards, which currently vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, can be harmonized.
“How do you explain to a worker that a level that may be protective of health in one country is not considered protective in another one?” she asks. “In recognition of this problem, there is an ongoing effort toward harmonization of standards.”
Recent scientific papers co-authored by Dr. Oller:
1. “Lack of micronucleus formation in bone marrow of rats after repeated oral exposure to nickel sulfate
hexahydrate,” by A. R. Oller and G. Erexson. Mutation Research, 2006.
2. “Fluorescent tracking of nickel ions in human cultured cells,” by Q. Ke, T. Davidson, T. Kluz, A. Oller and M. Costa. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 2006.
PHOTOS: Nickel Institute
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