Baby Safety / Compounds / Nickel chloride

Is Nickel chloride 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 chloride, 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 chloride?

The IUPAC name is Nickel(II) chloride hexahydrate.

Also known as: Nickel(II) chloride hexahydrate, Nickel(II) chloride, Nickel dichloride, dichloronickel.

IUPAC name
Nickel(II) chloride hexahydrate
CAS number
7718-54-9
Molecular formula
NiCl2•6H2O
Molecular weight
237.69 g/mol
SMILES
Cl[Ni]Cl
PubChem CID
24385

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Nickel chloride, 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 chloride, 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 chloride. 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 chloride

  • electroplating
  • battery production
  • catalyst preparation
  • industrial synthesis

Safer alternatives

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

  • Nickel sulfamate (for electroplating)
    Trade-offs: Lower internal stress in deposits. Higher cost. Still nickel exposure (skin sensitization).
    Relative cost: 1.5×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain nickel chloride?

Nickel chloride appears in: electroplating; battery production; catalyst preparation.

See Nickel chloride in the baby app

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

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 7718-54-9 — 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 →