What is Cadmium?
Cadmium is a chemical element that is soft, malleable, and very toxic. Cadmium is used mainly in industrial applications. Almost three fourths of cadmium is used in the production of batteries. Cadmium is also used in electroplating, many electronic applications and to stabilize plastics.(4)  In plastics, cadmium helps to make possible the bright colors.

Cancer Causer
Cadmium is highly toxic. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that cadmium and cadmium compounds are known human carcinogens.(1) Cadmium and cadmium compounds are known to be human carcinogens based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans, including epidemiological and mechanistic information that indicate a causal relationship between exposure to cadmium and cadmium compounds and human cancer.(2)  

Health Risks Associated With Cadmium
Cadmium damages the kidneys, lungs, and bones. The most serious consequence of chronic cadmium poisoning is cancer (lung and prostate). The first observed chronic effect is generally kidney damage, manifested by excretion of excessive (low molecular weight) protein in the urine. Cadmium also is believed to cause pulmonary emphysema and bone disease.  The health effects in children are expected to be similar to the effects seen in adults (kidney, lung, and bone damage depending on the route of exposure).

Many studies of cultured mammalian cells have shown that cadmium compounds cause genetic damage, including gene mutations, DNA strand breaks, chromosomal damage, cell transformation (a step in tumor formation), and disrupted DNA repair. The accumulated information supports the conclusion that ionic cadmium is the active, genotoxic form of cadmium and its compounds (IARC 1993). There is no evidence to suggest that the mechanisms thought to account for cadmium’s carcinogenicity in experimental animals would not also operate in humans.(3)

Human Exposure to Cadmium

In general, humans are exposed to cadmium through consumption of food and drinking water, inhalation of cadmium containing particles from ambient air or cigarette smoke, or ingestion of contaminated soil and dust. Tobacco smokers are exposed to an estimated 1.7 μg of cadmium per cigarette. Food is the major source of cadmium exposure for nonsmokers; average cadmium levels in theUnited States food supply range from 2 to 40 ppb. The daily adult intake of cadmium is estimated to be approximately 30 μg, with the largest contribution from grain cereal products, potatoes, and other vegetables. Exposures through drinking water or ambient air typically are very low (ATSDR 1999). Since cadmium is used in plastics, children especially are susceptible to cadmium exposure.  See related article:  32% of Toys Contain Toxic Chemicals.

Workers in a wide variety of occupations potentially are exposedto cadmium and cadmium compounds (IARC 1993). However,occupations with the highest potential levels of exposure includes melting zinc and lead ores, welding or remelting cadmium-coated steel, working with solders that contain cadmium, and producing, processing, and handling cadmium powders. The major routes of occupational exposure are inhalation of dust and fumes and incidental ingestion of dust from contaminated hands, cigarettes, or food (ATSDR 1999).

Sources:

(1) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 2008. Toxicological Profile for Cadmium (Draft for Public Comment). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.

(2)  OSHA

(3)  Toxnet

(4)  Cadmium. (2009, November 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:49, December 3, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cadmium&oldid=327765548