Nickel Industry Shares Concerns Over Mobile Phone Allergic Reactions
Friday, October 17, 2008 -- The nickel industry is following with concern reports that nickel that may be present on the surfaces of some mobile phones can, in cases of prolonged contact with the skin, cause contact dermatitis.
Stephen Barnett, President of the Nickel Institute, the body that represents the nickel industry, said today: “We welcome this renewed attention to the use of nickel on the surfaces of mobile phones.
“The findings in these reports are not new to us. The Nickel Institute first became aware of this issue following a study in 2000. We have been in regular and frequent contact with the major producers of mobile phones, suggesting a review of their material choices, in particular the use of nickel on exterior surfaces. We have also offered technical cooperation and made suggestions to the mobile phone manufacturers for how nickel could either be used safely or substituted.”
The nickel industry wholeheartedly supports the EU Nickel Directive – in place since January 2000 – which limits release of nickel from any consumer products intended to come into ‘direct and prolonged contact’ with skin. In addition, the Nickel Institute is currently working with the American Academy of Dermatology to bring about appropriate legislation in the United States.
Nickel allergy is one of many common allergies, such as those to pollen and latex. According to the European Risk Assessment for nickel, between seven and nine percent of the general population have been identified as sensitised to nickel.
Nickel is essential to many internal mobile phone functions and nickel plating makes surfaces more
resistant to wear. Care must be taken, however, to ensure either that the plated surface is a “low release”
variety or that the nickel plated surfaces will not, in normal use, be in direct and prolonged contact with
the skin.
“In the meantime, for anyone who does feel a reaction, the recommendation made by the mobile phone
manufacturers to use a cover or hands-free kit, is fully supported by the industry,” he said.
Download our Advisory Note on mobile phones here
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NOTES TO EDITORS
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Stephen Barnett
President
Nickel Institute
E-mail:sbarnett@nickelinstitute.org
Tel: 44 771 734 1432
OR
Olivier Beaunay
Director, Communications and Public Affairs
Nickel Institute
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
E-mail: obeaunay@nickelinstitute.org
Tel: 1 416 843 5145
For more about nickel on mobile phones >>
Download our Advisory Note on mobile phones here
>>
• The Nickel Institute is a nonprofit organization that represents the interests of 29 companies which
together produce more than 90% of the world’s annual nickel output. The Institute was established in 2004,
through the merger of the Nickel Development Institute (NiDI) and the Nickel Producers Environmental Research
Association (NiPERA).
For more about the Nickel Institute >>
• The ISO Standards applicable to decorative nickel plating are:
• ISO 1456:2003 for plating on base metals – steel, copper and copper alloys, zinc alloys and aluminium
alloys;
• ISO 4525:2003 for plating on plastics materials.
These standards specify requirements for decorative nickel-chrome coatings to achieve acceptable performance
under different service conditions. Nickel thickness, adhesion and accelerated corrosion test methods are all
described.
The EU Nickel Risk Assessment recommends that for skin sensitisation the wider EU population be monitored to ensure that the threshold set in the EU Directive 94/27/EC is adequate to prevent new cases. It should also be sufficient to prevent symptoms in a significant proportion of sensitised individuals.
EU legislation (the Nickel Directive) has been in place since January 2000 limiting the release of nickel from consumer products intended to come into direct and prolonged contact with skin, such as headphones, jewellery and watches.
