Hazardous Substances Databank Number: 1114
Base" (HSDB) as an animal and human carcinogen. It is classified by the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as "immediately dangerous to Life and Health," and a
potential occupational carcinogen. Its primary industrial uses are for nickel plating, as a fungicide,
an anti-rusting agent, as a mordant for dyeing and printing textiles; coatings;ceramics.
Nickelous Sulfate is produced by dissolving nickel oxide in sulfuric acid producing nickel sulfate
hexahydrate.
How a toxic substance like this made its way into a product like Centrum is beyond my ability to
comprehend when the Federal Drinking Water Guidelines allow for no more than 100 ug/l
(equivalent to 100 parts per billion!)*, and it is considered a hazardous air pollutant generally
known or suspected to cause serious health problems. The Clean Air Act, as amendeed in 1990,
directed the EPA to monitor and restrict the emission of this toxic chemical.
*USEPA/Office of Water; Federal-State Toxicology and Risk Analysis Committee (FSTRAC). Summary of State and Federal Drinking
Water Standards and Guidelines (11/93), p.**QC REVIEWED**
Nickel" PDF.