Nickel exposure and its effects.

The aim of the study was to determine the nickel concentrations of soil and plant specimens taken from a rural area exposed to cement factory emissions and also to determine the blood concentrations and sensitivity conditions observed in humans residing in this rural area. The study was carried out in Cukurhisar, a town in Eskişehir-Turkey, between May 2000 and March 2001. Beside the 108 soil (36 for control) and plant specimens, which were taken from 8 directions from the cement factory, blood samples of the individuals residing in this area were taken from 258 subjects (258 for control) following a physical examination, and patch tests were also applied.