Cadmium is one of four major heavy metal contaminants prevalent in our food market today. Mercury, Lead, and Arsenic are much more well known and are frequently discussed. Cadmium, however, we seem to talk and maybe understand less about.
Cadmium can be found in a variety of products but is most commonly used in batteries, electroplating and solder. Soldering, even as a hobby, is actually one of the most common ways someone might be exposed to cadmium in the amounts necessary for poisoning. Other occupational sources of exposure include solar cells, plastic stabilizers, pigments and nuclear reactors! Workers who manufacture any of these products or collect waste from the manufacture of these products are at the top of the list of those at risk of high levels of cadmium exposure. Even those who just sell or transport these products will most likely have a higher than average amount of exposure. Cigarette smokers also run the risk of cadmium poisoning and the additional lung damage caused by cadmium is permanent and can be deadly.
Cadmium is extremely poisonous and while these workers are probably experiencing chronic exposure over long periods of time, it really doesn’t take very much to have a significant impact on one’s health. OSHA outlines a number of medically evaluated thresholds for Cadmium exposure and just one indicator out of three being slightly elevated is equated with a significant increase the probability of permanent renal damage. These thresholds are evaluated through a variety of tests including blood work and a urinalysis.
Cadmium damages the lungs, the renal system which includes the kidneys and by extension the bones as the uptake of calcium is greatly reduced with kidney and liver damage. Emphysema, bronchitis, chronic rhinitis and an increased risk of lung cancer are just a few of the ways that damage to the lungs can present. Kidney damage can vary causing an increase in kidney stone development to all out kidney failure. While the extended and regular exposure to cadmium is usually the culprit in cadmium related kidney failure, even an acute exposure can reduce the proper function of the kidneys. In turn, even small changes can decrease the effectiveness of the renal system in the reuptake of necessary nutrients, notably calcium, causing a number of other health complications such as osteoporosis.
While cadmium inhalation is probably the culprit in most acute but very high cadmium exposures, cadmium ingestion is probably the main way that the rest of the population is going to be regularly exposed. While you might not have the symptoms of an acute poisoning like a worker who gets sick after welding without proper ventilation, you are still at risk for developing the issues of chronic, long term exposure. Ingesting cadmium may still result in renal damage and it doesn’t take very much. Small amounts over a number of years will be more than enough to cause renal damage. This is why it is so important that we monitor and test our foods! This is especially important for foods and supplements that we take everyday as cadmium builds up in the body. Learning and knowing where your food is coming from is the first step in preventing cadmium exposure. Testing the foods you can’t personally source is the second. As always, if you have a questions about a particular product or line of food and would like to test that product, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Resources:
Cadmium toxicity and treatment: An update: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5596182/
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/cadmium/Chronic-Effects.html#
OSHA threshold guidelines for industrial workers : https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA_3675.pdf