Kettles may cause skin allergy

There is concern that nickel leaching off kettle elements is contaminating the water boiled in them, and irritating the skin of people who drink or use it.

The government has asked its Drinking Water Inspectorate to examine the issue.

Michael Rouse, the Chief Drinking Water Inspector, said research had shown that nickel contamination was a risk, but not a serious one.

He told the BBC: "There is nothing wrong with the drinking water arriving at the tap, and there is really no cause for alarm.

"But it could affect people who are sensitised to nickel."

Eczema

The Drinking Water Inspectorate tested eight kettles with exposed elements, of which only one had a stainless steel element rather than one which included nickel in the coating.

This one, brought from Woolworth¿s, recorded the lowest nickel level reading.

Mr Rouse said the best way to avoid the problem was to buy a kettle which did not have a nickel-plated element, or whose element was not in direct contact with the water.

Nickel allergy may develop at any age. It is more common in women, probably because they are more likely to have pierced ears than men, although this is changing.

The degree of allergy varies. Some people develop eczema from even brief contact with nickel-containing items, while others break out only after many years of skin contact with nickel.