Cadmium is a silvery/gray metal by-product of zinc production and refining. It’s used in rechargeable batteries and color pigments that are often used in plastics. It is highly toxic and is known to cause birth defects and cancer. Cadmium generally stores in the kidneys, but can be found in the liver and bones also.
Hazards are present in every work environment; being unaware of them, especially when dealing with cadmium, can have critical, even fatal, consequences. Cadmium hazards may be present in a number of seemingly unrelated operations and materials, such as paints, batteries, and phosphate fertilizers. Included among the references listed below are most of the major activities in which cadmium exposure may or has occurred. These links also aid in recognizing cadmium and cadmium compounds and the health effects associated with them.1
Sources
Air pollution, batteries, ceramic glazes/enamels, cigarette
smoke (both first and second hand), tap and well water, food (if grown
in cadmium-contaminated soil), fungicides, mines, paints, power and
smelting
plants, seafood.
Physiological Effects
Exposure to cadmium can occur through inhalation or ingestion
in places or situations where cadmium products are used, manufactured,
or ingested. Cigarette smoke is the biggest source of cadmium toxicity,
which seems to affect the lungs, kidneys, bones, and immune system
primarily. It may lead to lung cancer, prostate cancer and heart
disease, and also causes yellow teeth and anemia. Cadmium also seems to
contribute to autoimmune thyroid disease
.
1. United States Department of Labor
