Nickel (Ni) is an essential element in plants and animals, but elevated levels can exert toxicity in living beings, as recently highlighted by the European Food Safety Authority opinion. However, literature regarding the presence of nickel in the environment is scarce. In 2016, the EU Commission Recommendation n°1110 recommended monitoring the presence of Ni in feed in order to set maximum levels or to adopt other risk management measures to ensure a high level of animal health protection and consequently of human health. A total of 200 samples of feedingstuffs, drinking water, and milk were collected from dairy cow farms in Piedmont, and analyzed for Ni concentration by Z-ETA-AAS. Results showed the presence of nickel in feedingstuffs in a range from 0.20 to 16 mg/kg, while Ni concentrations in water and milk were close to or below the limit of quantitation. There was no carry-over from feed to milk in this food chain. Nickel concentrations were not of concern for animal health despite being in the upper range of those observed in vegetables from Europe.

镍（Ni）是动植物中必不可少的元素，但是如欧洲食品安全局（European Food Safety Authority）的观点最近所强调的那样，镍的含量升高会对生物产生毒性。但是，关于环境中镍的存在的文献很少。2016年，欧盟委员会第1110号建议书建议监测饲料中镍的含量，以设定最高水平或采取其他风险管理措施，以确保高水平的动物健康保护以及人类健康。从皮埃蒙特的奶牛场收集了总共200份饲料，饮用水和牛奶样品，并通过Z-ETA-AAS分析了镍的浓度。结果表明，饲料中镍的含量为0.20至16 mg / kg，水和牛奶中的镍浓度接近或低于定量极限。在此食物链中，没有从饲料到牛奶的残留。尽管镍的浓度处于欧洲蔬菜中的最高水平，但对动物健康却没有影响。