Cadmium is normally found combined with other minerals in compounds and is extracted or released during the purification of another metal. Its entrance into the environment is accelerated by mining, burning of fossil fuels, and leaks or spills from treatment or chemical sites. Cadmium is a well-known carcinogen.
Cadmium can be absorbed through the air/lungs (smoke), through drinking water, and through food sources such as leafy vegetables and shellfish.
Government Regulations...
Sources of Exposure...
Recent Articles...
Government Regulations
The EPA has set a limit of 5 parts of cadmium per billion parts of drinking water (5 ppb), while the FDA limits the amount of cadmium in food colors to 15 parts per million (15 ppm).
(The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)
Sources of Exposure
The largest potential sources of cadmium exposure, besides battery and paint factories, are food and cigarette smoke. Cadmium easily binds to soil particles and is abosorbed by plants growing in the soil. The average daily intake of cadmium from food sources is estimated to be 30 micrograms. (http://www.iet.msu.edu/Tox_for_Journ/)
In 2000, a Seattle-based fertilizer manufacturer intercepted a cadmium-contaminated shipment of chemicals bound for a waste treatment site, from China.
According to EPA, it is perfectly legal for toxic sludge and waste to be marketed and sold as fertilizer.
The toxic waste goes into the top of each silo and is then taken out of the bottom as raw material for fertilizer. According to the Times piece, Bay Zinc’s President, Dick Camp, said, "When it goes into our silo, it’s a hazardous waste. When it comes out of the silo, it’s no longer regulated. The exact same material. Don’t ask me why. That’s the wisdom of the EPA."
(http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/)
The spreading of toxic wastes and heavy metals onto your food crops is a completely unregulated operation, according to the Ark Institute. They cite many more examples of this on their site. http://www.arkinstitute.com/
In 2001, the California Public Interest Research Group published a study on toxic waste in fertilizers. Some of their findings:
- Between 1990 and 1995, 270 million pounds of toxic waste were spread on U.S. farmlands as fertilizer
- 29 out of 29 brands of fertilizers randomly tested, were found to contain hazardous levels of 22 different metals including mercury, cadmium and lead
- For 13 of the 22 metals, the amounts measured in the fertilizers exceeded the maximum levels allowed at Hazardous Treatment Landfills
Recent Articles
- 8/12/03: Cadmium possibly found in soft drinks Coke and Pepsi manufactured in India news.google
- 7/21/03: Cadmium found to imitate estrogen in body Contra Costa Times
- 7/13/03: Cadmium Breast Cancer Link Health24.co.za