Distribution and clearance of63Ni administered as63NiCl2 in the rat: Intratracheal study

Microgram amounts of nickel as63NiCl2 were administered intratracheally to male rats. Regardless of time after instillation, the lungs and kidneys retained the greatest concentration of63Ni, and 21 days after dose administration they were the only organs where63Ni was still measurable. Urinary excretion was the main excretion route with 72% of the initial body burden eliminated by the urine at one day. By day 21, almost all63Ni was excreted in the urine (96.5% of the initial body burden). The lungs retained 29% of their initial (35 min) burden at day 1, decreasing to 0.1% on day 21.