Baby Safety / Compounds / Nickel oxide (NiO)

Is Nickel oxide (NiO) safe for babies and kids?

Extreme risk for kids

Infants are extremely vulnerable to Nickel oxide (NiO) due to immature blood-brain barrier, higher gastrointestinal absorption rates (40-50% vs 3-10% in adults), and rapidly developing neurology. Even trace exposure can cause irreversible neurodevelopmental harm.

What is nickel oxide (nio)?

The IUPAC name is nickel(2+);oxygen(2-).

Also known as: nickel(2+);oxygen(2-), Nickel (II) oxide, RefChem:927711, DTXCID301477324.

IUPAC name
nickel(2+);oxygen(2-)
CAS number
1313-99-1
Molecular formula
NiO
Molecular weight
74.693 g/mol
SMILES
[O--].[Ni++]
PubChem CID
179931

Risk for babies

Extreme risk

Infants are extremely vulnerable to Nickel oxide (NiO) due to immature blood-brain barrier, higher gastrointestinal absorption rates (40-50% vs 3-10% in adults), and rapidly developing neurology. Even trace exposure can cause irreversible neurodevelopmental harm.

Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.

What to do: Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

High risk

GHS Danger classification. Carcinogenicity concern during pregnancy.

Regulatory consensus

5 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Nickel oxide (NiO). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / NTP RoC—Known Human Carcinogen
EPA CTX / Health Canada—Group I: CEPA (carcinogenic to humans)
EPA CTX / CalEPA—Known human carcinogen
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 0 positive / 3 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 0 positive / 3 negative reports)

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 oxide (nio)

  • Contaminated Water — Mining site runoff, Industrial discharge, Old infrastructure
  • Food Chain — Fish from contaminated waters, Crops in contaminated soil

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Nickel oxide (NiO):

  • Enzyme or biocatalysts where applicable
    Trade-offs: Temperature/pH sensitivity. Higher cost for some applications.
    Relative cost: 2-5×

Frequently asked questions

Is nickel oxide (nio) safe for kids?

Infants are extremely vulnerable to Nickel oxide (NiO) due to immature blood-brain barrier, higher gastrointestinal absorption rates (40-50% vs 3-10% in adults), and rapidly developing neurology. Even trace exposure can cause irreversible neurodevelopmental harm.

What products contain nickel oxide (nio)?

Nickel oxide (NiO) appears in: Mining site runoff (Contaminated water); Industrial discharge (Contaminated water); Fish from contaminated waters (Food chain); Crops in contaminated soil (Food chain).

What should I do if my child is exposed to nickel oxide (nio)?

Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Why do regulators disagree about nickel oxide (nio)?

Nickel oxide (NiO) has been classified by 5 agencies including EPA CTX / NTP RoC, EPA CTX / Health Canada, EPA CTX / CalEPA, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. 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. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Nickel oxide (NiO) in the baby app

Look up products containing nickel oxide (nio), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. PubChem Compound CID 179931 — database
  2. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DTXSID7025710 — epa
  3. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 1313-99-1 — 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 →