Nickel concentration of blood and urine after oral administration.

Nickel concentration in serum and whole blood as well as nickel excretion in urine was assayed at different time intervals before and after ingestion of nickel sulfate in eight healthy volunteers during a three days study. The peak level of nickel in blood was reached 2.5 hours after nickel ingestion and the maximal urinary excretion of nickel was during the first eight hours after ingestion. Great individual variations in nickel concentrations in blood and nickel excretion in urine were observed. Analysis of nickel in both urine and serum reflects ingestion of a soluble nickel salt, but urine seems to be most reliable to follow.