EQUAL SSS249

1. Health Hazards of Nickel EQUAL SSS249 Occupational Health Department (revised March 2013)

2. Hazard identification • What is nickel? • Naturally occurring element • Makes up 0.008% of the Earth's crust • In air, water, soil and food • Nickel in the workplace poses a chemical hazard

3. Properties are different! Potential for toxicity is different! Industrial nickel species Working with nickel • Many forms of nickel • Insoluble – Ni Oxide, Ni Sulfide, Ni Subsulfide • Soluble – Ni Chloride, Ni Sulphate, Ni Carbonate, Ni Hydroxide • Metallic nickel (powders and pellets) • Nickel Carbonyl – liquid/gas

4. Insoluble nickel is the primary species throughout the Smelter, Matte Processing and the NRC. Nickel carbonyl is the primary species at the IPC. Nickel species Vale (Sudbury) Insoluble nickel • Nickel oxide: Found in the FBR, NRC and small amounts in IPC • Nickel sulphide (subsulphide):Smelter, Matte Processing, NRC Soluble nickel • Soluble Nickel:Small amounts NRC & Electrowinning • Metallic nickel: Found in IPC (DECS, Reactors, P&S) Nickel Carbonyl:– Found in IPC

5. Nickel species at Vale

6. How does nickel enter my body?

7. How can I be exposed to nickel? • Primary routes of entry for nickel: • Inhalation • Ingestion Nickel may also cause contact dermatitis Sources: • Non-Industrial (away from work) • Industrial (at work)

8. Nickel exposure:INGESTION • Primary route for non-industrial exposures • Water, food (cocoa, chocolate, oatmeal, nuts) • Absorption depends on whether the food is taken on a full or empty stomach • Food slows absorption and binds up nickel, results in excretion in “solid waste” • Workplace dust on hands, cigarettes & food may be transferred to mouth if hygiene/work practices not followed • No evidence of long term health effects (e.g. stomach cancers)

9. Respiratory tract is the major target organ system for nickel dust & nickel carbonyl gas Nickel Exposure:INHALATION • Primary industrial exposure route • Variables affecting intake: • Particle size (inhalable) • Breathing rate • Use of PPE • Work practices

10. Respiratory PPE is a crucial defense DUST vs GAS • Have different effects on your health • Dust • The lungs inhale many different particle sizes • Size of the particle determines if its inhalable, thoracic or respirable and where it will be deposited in the respiratory system • The respiratory tract (RT) can protect itself from dust but heavy concentrations overwhelm the RT’s defense mechanisms Gas • The lungs have no defense against gas • Nickel carbonyl gas is absorbed directly into bloodstream

11. Inhalation and the factors affecting ABSORPTION • Nickel species – solubilityaffects rate of absorption • Soluble nickel: The smaller and more soluble the particle, the more rapidly it will be absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted. • Insoluble nickel: Known to accumulate in tissue such as lung, where, depending upon particle size, it may only slowly be absorbed over time. • Carbonyl gas:Inhaled into the lungs and absorbed into the bloodstream.

12. Minimize/avoid contact if you are allergic Nickel Exposure:SKIN ABSORPTION • Very little absorbed through the skin into bloodstream • Allergic contact dermatitis or “nickel itch” can result after prolonged and direct contact (Ni metal and soluble forms)

13. How does my body get rid of nickel? • Through the kidneys. • Nickel half life in urine is 17-39 hours. Clearance by the body can be affected by age, kidney and liver function, general health and smoking

14. Health effects of nickel?

15. How can nickel hurt me? • Acute Toxicity: • Carbonyl gas can harm us immediately • Causes acute/immediate lung health issues • If you are not wearing air supplying respirator in the presence of carbonyl, death can occur within 4 to 10 days • Chronic Toxicity: • High level exposure to nickel dust increases risk of long term lung damage and in past, has been associated with increased respiratory cancers • Protection from inhaling nickel dust will prevent health problems in the future

16. Health hazards of nickel • Known health hazards • Cancer (lung and nasal cancers) • Sensitization (allergic skin reactions/rashes-nickel allergic contact dermatitis and rarely asthma) Possible health hazards Mutagenicity (may be a a marker of possible cancer, genes may be affected) Reproductive toxicity (female effect- pregnancy effects-baby developmental problems) Lung inflammation, fibrosis

17. Most potent Least potent Nickel subsulfide (A1) Nickel oxide (A1) Soluble nickel compounds (salts) (A4) Nickel metal powders (A5) Nickel metal pellets (A5) Nickel species and health: CANCER Potency

18. Animal data Animal data ? No data Nickel carbonyl Soluble nickel compounds Nickel powders Nickel pellets Other nickel compounds Threshold effect Nickel and health:REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS

19. Required: Direct & prolonged skin contact Nickel ion and sweat reaction Nickel metal powders and pellets Soluble nickel compounds Other nickel compounds Threshold effect Nickel and health: ALLERGY (SKIN)

20. How do we evaluate exposure?

21. Assess the risk • Health risks depend on the presence of: • Combinations of nickel species • Their form- dust particles or gas or both • Route of entry • Dose • Length of exposure (years) • Presence of other substances (smoking) • Human susceptibility

22. Ontario’s Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) • Nickel subsulfide 0.1 mg/m3 • Nickel insoluble 0.2 mg/m3 • Nickel soluble 0.1 mg/m3 • Elemental nickel 1.0 mg/m3 • Nickel carbonyl 0.05 ppm or 50 ppb

23. It is important to participate in both Air monitoring vs Nickel surveillance • Are different BUT complementary • Workplace air monitoring done by the Occupational Health • Participating in air monitoring (wearing a pump) • tells us about YOUR potential lung exposure to a chemical (s) • (the sampling head is your lung at work) • Participating in nickel surveillance (ie: PFT, chest x-ray, urine sample,) • Provides early detection of changes in lung function, nickel absorption from soluble and/or carbonyl.

24. Air monitoring • How is nickel measured?: • IOM 7 Hole sampler • Versapor 25 mm, 1.2 µ filter • Pump flow rate – 2 L/min • How is nickel analyzed?: • Nickel Speciation (or ICP if predominant species known)

25. Nickel surveillance: URINARY NICKEL • Assess exposure to nickel carbonyl and soluble nickel dust by measuring urinary nickel levels • Employees in IPC and Packaging & Shipping • End of the work week

26. Nickel surveillance: PULMONARY FUNCTION TEST (PFT) • PFT every 2 years • Chest x-ray (as recommended by Medical Director) Screening tool to monitor lung function and early detection of lung changes (ie: fibrosis) • Employees in NRC, Smelter and Matte Processing deemed at risk

27. Controlling the hazard

28. Type of controls • Engineering Controls: • Substitution; Ventilation; Isolation • Administrative Controls: • Work procedures; Training; Nickel surveillance

29. Work and hygiene practices • Some of the things you can do to protect your health: • Wash hands, face, scrub nails before eating, drinking or smoking • Ensure: using soap & warm water & washing for sufficient time • Shower, wash, change before going home • Eat, drink only in designated areas • Keep your work area clean – daily housekeeping • REPORT any illness or injuries right away (even if you think they are minor)

30. PPE – Respirators • The type of respirator is based on the nickel concentration. • Respirator fit testing can be done at Vale’s First Aid facilities. • Refer to the Divisional Respirator Protection Program.

31. Respirator protection • Where airborne concentrations are: • < = to 10 x TWA (NIOSH Assigned Protection Factor (APF) of 10) • Half-mask respirator with particulate filters (P100) • < = to 25 x TWA (NIOSH Assigned Protection Factor (APF) of 25) • Powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) equipped with a hood or helmet and particulate filter.

32. TAKE HOME MESSAGE • Recognize and understand the hazard and assess the level of risk. • Follow established controls • Follow good hygiene and work practices • Wear PPE when required • Participate in air monitoring and nickel surveillance • If no control is in place or you think the hazard still exists, talk to your supervisor

33. Thank you!