Nickel and cobalt release from jewellery and metal clothing items inKorea

Abstract

Our study shows that the prevalence of items that release nickel or cobalt among jewellery and metal clothing items is high in Korea.

Assessment of Nickel and Cobalt Release From Jewelry From a Non–Nickel Directive Country

“…12 Nickel allergy is common worldwide, but cobalt allergy is uncommon in some countries. 12 Nickel allergy is common worldwide, but cobalt allergy is uncommon in some countries.…”

“…Quantitative measurements using the EN 1811 reference method or x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy are expensive, time consuming, and potentially destructive to the test items. 12 Hamann et al, 3 using DMG tests, found that nickel release from earrings randomly purchased in China and Thailand was 31.5% and 29.2%, respectively. 11,13,16 The DMG test is used widely in clinical practice and by nickel-allergic individuals at home.…”

“…The legislation controls the amount of nickel released from products intended for direct and prolonged contact with the skin to not more than 0.5 Kg/cm 2 per week. 3,12 Cobalt is a hard metal and is commonly used in combination with other metals such as nickel, chromium, and tungsten to increase hardness and durability. 8,25 This type of nickel regulation has not been introduced in the United States and most Asian countries, including Thailand; however, regulations were announced in China and Korea in 2002 and 2012, respectively.…”

“…Because it is often mixed with, or is an impurity in, other metals, concomitant nickel and cobalt sensitization is frequently observed. 12,26,27 This could be explained by the different test methods. 26 In Thailand, cobalt is the fourth most common allergen (16.4%), and its prevalence is higher than in many other countries.…”

“…12,13 The pieces were soaked in the test reagent for 5 minutes. The test reagent was produced by the hospital pharmacy at Siriraj Hospital, which formulated based on previous reports.…”