Since 1991 it has been prohibited to sell goods intended to be in direct, long-term contact with the skin and which can release nickel. Such articles include jewellery, fastenings, buttons, watches and other similar metal products. The maximum permitted level of nickel release is 0.5 µg per cm2 per week. This regulation is now part of REACH, the European legislation on chemicals.
Apart from jewellery and metal items on clothing, there is no detailed description of which other articles are covered by this regulation. However, as the use of mobile telephones is increasing, the European Commission has deemed that mobile telephones should also come under the regulation. In addition, the European Commission has defined how to interpret ”long-term skin contact” and has stated that ”long-term skin contact” equals 30 minutes of continuous contact or a total of one hour over a day when exposure is divided into shorter periods of contact. Accordingly, tools designed to be in contact with the skin for longer than the stated periods must not exceed the maximum permitted nickel release of 0.5 µg nickel per cm2 per week.
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the governing authority and the EPA’s Chemical Inspection Service is the enforcing agency.
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