The Toxic Legacy of Nickel Production and Its Impact on Environmental Health: A Case Study

Nickel is a chemical element that occurs naturally in soil, water, air, plants, and therefore also in food and other living organisms. However, anthropogenic activities related to the production and processing of nickel can cause its increased concentration in the environment, which is a risk to wildlife and thus to human health. Nickel and its compounds are currently considered immunotoxic and carcinogenic agents that cause a number of health problems. The study examines this problem in the context of the environmental paradigm, which emphasizes the importance of political–economic and socio-economic factors that can seriously affect environmental health. The aim of the study is to draw attention to the economic–political implications of not addressing the environmental burden caused by nickel production and landfilling of waste from this production in Slovakia. The uniqueness of the study is that it reflects the negative impacts of nickel on health in a human–legal context that is characteristic of social work. The study proposes a conceptual model, the verification of which requires further research.