Baby Safety / Compounds / Nickel carbonyl

Is Nickel carbonyl safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Nickel carbonyl, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is nickel carbonyl?

The IUPAC name is Tetracarbonylnickel.

Also known as: Tetracarbonylnickel, tetracarbonylnickel(0), 1ZYL78UWZN, RefChem:165662.

IUPAC name
Tetracarbonylnickel
CAS number
13463-39-3
Molecular formula
Ni(CO)4
Molecular weight
158.91 g/mol
SMILES
[C-]#[O+].[C-]#[O+].[C-]#[O+].[C-]#[O+].[Ni]
PubChem CID
26039

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Nickel carbonyl, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Nickel carbonyl, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Nickel carbonyl. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA——
IARC——

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter nickel carbonyl

  • nickel refining
  • specialty chemical synthesis
  • laboratory settings (restricted)

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Nickel carbonyl:

  • Nickel electroplating (from nickel sulfate/chloride)
    Trade-offs: Requires electrochemical infrastructure. Wastewater treatment. Nickel still a skin sensitizer.
    Relative cost: Similar overall

Frequently asked questions

What products contain nickel carbonyl?

Nickel carbonyl appears in: nickel refining; specialty chemical synthesis; laboratory settings (restricted).

See Nickel carbonyl in the baby app

Look up products containing nickel carbonyl, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (1)
  1. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 13463-39-3 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →