What is Cadmium?
Recently, McDonald’s recalled 12 million “Shrek”-themed drinking glasses because cadmium was discovered in the painted design. So, what is cadmium and why is it dangerous? PhillyHealthInfo.org has the answers:
What is cadmium?
Cadmium is a natural element found in the earth’s crust. All soils and rocks, including coal and mineral fertilizers, contain some cadmium. Cadmium has many uses, including batteries, pigments, metal coatings, and plastics.
How can cadmium affect my health?
Breathing high levels of cadmium can severely damage the lungs. Eating food or drinking water with very high levels severely irritates the stomach, leading to vomiting and diarrhea. Long-term exposure to lower levels of cadmium in air, food, or water leads to a buildup of cadmium in the kidneys and possible kidney disease. Other long-term effects are lung damage and fragile bones.
How likely is cadmium to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that cadmium and cadmium compounds are known human carcinogens.
How can cadmium affect children?
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). A few studies in animals indicate that younger animals absorb more cadmium than adults. Animal studies also indicate that the young are more susceptible than adults to a loss of bone and decreased bone strength from exposure to cadmium. We don’t know if cadmium causes birth defects in people. The babies of animals exposed to high levels of cadmium during pregnancy had changes in behavior and learning ability. There is also some information from animal studies that high enough exposures to cadmium before birth can reduce body weights and affect the skeleton in the developing young.
How can families reduce the risk of exposure to cadmium?
- In the home, store substances that contain cadmium safely, and keep nickel-cadmium batteries out of reach of young children.
- Cadmium is a component of tobacco smoke. Avoid smoking in enclosed spaces like inside the home or car in order to limit exposure to children and other family members.
- If you work with cadmium, use all safety precautions to avoid carrying cadmium-containing dust home from work on your clothing, skin, hair, or tools.
- A balanced diet can reduce the amount of cadmium taken into the body from food and drink.
Is there a medical test to determine whether I’ve been exposed to cadmium?
Cadmium can be measured in blood, urine, hair, or nails. Urinary cadmium has been shown to accurately reflect the amount of cadmium in the body. The amount of cadmium in your blood shows your recent exposure to cadmium. The amount of cadmium in your urine shows both your recent and your past exposure.
For more information, check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
