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Nickel pollution in water
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Question 1
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Consider the following statements regarding nickel pollution in water:
1. Natural weathering of rocks is a source of nickel pollution.
2. Nickel can also leach from plumbing materials into drinking water.
3. There is no known safe level of exposure to nickel.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Explanation Statement 1 is correct: Nickel occurs naturally in earth’s crust and can enter water bodies through rock weathering, volcanic eruptions, and soil erosion.
Statement 2 is correct: Nickel is used in the nickel/chrome plating on taps and plumbing fittings and so can occasionally leach into water whilst it in contact with the fitting
Statement 3 is not correct: While high levels of nickel exposure can be harmful, regulatory agencies like the World Health Organisation have set safe limits for nickel in drinking water. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the guideline value for nickel in drinking water is 0.07 mg/L (70 µg/L). Low levels of nickel exposure are not necessarily hazardous.
The Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for nickel reported by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) are 1.0 mg/day as soluble salts for adults ≥14 years, and 0.6, 0.3, and 0.2 mg/day for children for 9–13, 4–8, and 1–3 years old, respectively (NASEM 2019).
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