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Tone Smith-Sivertsen,¹ Valeri Tchachtchine,² Eiliv Lund,¹ Vladimir Bykov,² Yngvar Thomassen,³ and Tor Norseth³

¹Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsų, N-9037 Tromsų, Norway
²Kola Research Laboratory for Occupational Health, Kirovsk 184230, Russia; ³National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway

Abstract

The Russian nickel refineries located in the cities of Nikel and Zapolyarny close to the Norwegian border are responsible for extensive sulfur dioxide and nickel pollution, as well as severe ecological damage in both countries. The aim of our study was to investigate human nickel exposure in the populations living on both sides of the Norwegian-Russian border. The design was a cross-sectional population-based study of adults aged 18-69 years residing in Sųr-Varanger municipality, Norway, and Nikel and Zapolyarny, Russia, during 1994 and 1995. Individual exposure to nickel was assessed by measurements of nickel in urine using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. For controls, urine was collected from adults in the Russian cities of Apatity and Umba (Kola Peninsula) and the Norwegian city of Tromsų, all of which are locations without nearby point sources of nickel. Altogether 2,233 urine specimens were analysed for nickel. People living in Nikel had the highest concentrations (median 3.4 µg/l) , followed by Umba (median 2.7 µg/l) , Zapolyarny (median 2.0 µg/l) , Apatity (median 1.9 µg/l) , Tromsų (median 1.2 µg/l) , and Sųr-Varanger (median 0.6 µg/l) . Regardless of geographical location, the Russian study groups all had a higher urinary-nickel average than those in Norway (p<0.001) . With the exception of Nikel, neither the Russian nor the Norwegian urinary-nickel levels were associated with residence location near a Russian nickel refinery. We concluded that industrial nickel pollution alone could not explain the observed discrepancy between Norway and Russia ; we also discuss other possible nickel exposure sources that may account for the high urinary levels found in Russia. Key words: air pollution, environmental epidemiology, exposure assessment, industrial emissions, nickel, Norway, occupational exposure, Russia, smoking, urine. Environ Health Perspect 106:503-511 (1998) . [Online 14 July 1998]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1998/106p503-511smith-sivertsen/ abstract.html

Address correspondence to T. Smith-Sivertsen, Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsų, N-9037 Tromsų, Norway.

We thank Per Einar Fiskebeck for his indispensable help throughout the study period, Evert Nieboer for his useful suggestions during the writing of the manuscript, and Natalya Romanova, Alexej Parias, and Gunhild Sand for performing the urinary analyses.

This study was funded by the Norwegian Ministries of the Environment, Health and Social Affairs and Foreign Affairs, the Russian Ministry of Health, and the Murmansk Regional Health Care Committee.

Received 5 January 1998 ; accepted 24 March 1998.