Cadmium
Level 5 — High concernIn Winter's Dictionary
Cadmium is a other — Metal contaminant in food, soil, water
What it does
Metal contaminant in food, soil, water
Where you'll see it
Shellfish, liver, kidney meats, rice and grains, cigarettes
What the research says
Long biological clearance; accumulates in liver and kidney. Cadmium in drinking water correlated with cancer of pharynx, esophagus, intestines, larynx, lungs, prostate, bladder. Believed to cause mutations and pulmonary emphysema and bone disease ('itai-itai' disease in Japan). May cause anemia, tooth discoloration, loss of smell.
Regulatory status
- Notes: FDA labels it a human cancer-causing agent; EU priority hazardous substance; #7 on CERCLA list
Sources
- A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives (Winter): Cadmium in drinking water has been correlated with cancer of the pharynx, esophagus, intestines, larynx, lungs, prostate, and bladder