Contamination of hands with nickel IN COINS

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nicola

Sunday, November 25, 2001 3:54 AM

Subject:Jeff Rense Weekly E-News 11-24-01

 

 

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> * FEATURED ARTICLE *

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> Euro Coins Could Cause Skin Disease

> 11-24-1

>

> STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Two of the eight euro coins due to come into

> circulation in January release so much nickel that people allergic

> to the metal could develop hand eczema, according to a study

> obtained by Reuters on Friday.

>

> Just five minutes of contact with one-euro (88 cents) and two-euro

> coins containing nickel alloy could trigger symptoms, including

> skin inflammation or itching, the study by a Swedish dermatologist

> and British laboratory scientist said.

>

> Earlier studies which tested French, British and Swedish coins

> containing nickel were also found to have the potential to cause

> nickel allergies, it said.

>

> Fifteen percent of all women and two to five percent of men in the

> industrialized world are prone to nickel allergy.

>

> In the study, two-euro coins were bathed for a week in a solution

> resembling human sweat to imitate the effects of people handling

> coins.

>

> The amount of nickel released from the euro coins was up to 30

> times above a level regarded by scientists as the concentration

> threshold for reactivity to a single exposure.

>

> " Contamination of hands with nickel was shown to occur by handling

> cupro-nickel coins for five minutes, " the study said.

>

> Cupro-nickel is an alloy containing copper and nickel.

>

> The study, published earlier this year in the journal Contact

> Dermatitis, was written by dermatologist Carola Liden at Sweden's

> Karolinska Institute and Stephen Carter of Britain's Laboratory of

> the Government Chemist in Middlesex.

>

> " Whilst ordinary consumers handle coins infrequently for short

> periods of time, many shop assistants and cashiers in shops, banks

> and post offices handle coins during large parts of their workday, "

> it said.

>

> Between 30 and 40 percent of nickel-sensitive people tended to

> develop hand eczema, an inflammation of the skin which could lead

> to sick leave or change of jobs.

>

> EU scientists, environmentalists, dermatologists and the nickel

> industry considered nickel allergy potential when the composition

> of the euro coins were decided, the study said.

>

> Coins are exempt from the EU's nickel directive, which limits the

> amount of nickel in products such as jewelry or watches that come

> into direct contact with the skin.

>

> The one- and two-euro coins have a potential nickel release up to

> 100 times greater than the EU directive's upper limit, the study

> found.

> From http://www.rense.com !

>

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