title: Jewellery: alloy composition and release of nickel, cobalt and lead assessed with the EU synthetic sweat method.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have shown nickel and cobalt release from jewellery by using spot tests, but the metal composition of jewellery is largely unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the metal composition of a large worldwide sample of mainly inexpensive jewellery items, and investigate the release of nickel, cobalt and lead from a subsample by using EN 1811:1998-required methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 956 metallic jewellery components were examined with X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. A subsample of 96 jewellery items purchased in the United States were investigated for nickel, cobalt and lead release by the use of artificial sweat immersion and plasma optical emission spectroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen elements were detected. The 10 most frequently occurring were, in order of frequency, copper, iron, zinc, nickel, silver, chromium, tin, manganese, lead, and cobalt. Release of nickel was noted from 79 of the 96 US samples (0.01-98 µg/cm(2) /week), release of cobalt from 35 samples (0.02-0.5 µg/cm(2) /week), and release of lead from 37 samples (0.03-2718 µg/cm(2) /week).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We present here a comprehensive list of the most frequently encountered metals in jewellery and fashion accessories. Different allergenic and non-allergenic metals are utilized. We also report the frequent release of nickel, cobalt and lead from these objects, despite legislative restrictions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43221, USA.
authors.forename: Dathan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermato-Allergology, Copenhagen University Hospital Gentofte, University of Copenhagen, DK-2900, Hellerup, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jacob P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Thyssen
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA.
authors.forename: Carsten R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.affiliation: Contact Dermatitis Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 85008, USA.
authors.forename: Curtis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermato-Allergology, Copenhagen University Hospital Gentofte, University of Copenhagen, DK-2900, Hellerup, Denmark.
authors.forename: Torkil
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Menné
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermato-Allergology, Copenhagen University Hospital Gentofte, University of Copenhagen, DK-2900, Hellerup, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jeanne D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Dermatology and Cosmetology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-008, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Radoslaw
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spiewak
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94115, USA.
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maibach
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.|Department of Applied Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lundgren
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lidén
mesh_terms: D000497:Alloys / Q000032:analysis*; D003035:Cobalt / Q000032:analysis*; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D055498:Jewelry / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D009532:Nickel / Q000032:analysis*; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods; D013542:Sweat
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; D003035:Cobalt; D009532:Nickel
keywords: chromium; cobalt; dermatitis; earrings; jewellery; lead; nickel