The Health Risks Of Cadmium In Cigarette Smoke
Updated November 21, 2014.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
What Cadmium Is and Where it Comes From:
Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that occurs in nature. Cadmium is also produced as a by-product of the process of smelting (heating and melting ores to extract metals). Cadmium is present in low levels in food, and in high levels in cigarette smoke.
How Cadmium is Used:
Cadmium does not corrode easily, so it works well in batteries, its primary use. Cadmium is also used in metal plating, plastics and textile manufacturing.
The most common form of cadmium exposure for the general population is through food and cigarette smoke.
Cadmium in Food:
Cadmium occurs naturally in many foods because it is present in the soil and water. Cadmium levels in most U.S. foods are between 2 and 40 parts per billion(2-40ppb). Fruits and beverages contain the least amount of cadmium, while leafy vegetables and raw potatoes contain the most. Shellfish, liver and kidney meats are also high in cadmium.
It's estimated that of the 30 micrograms (mcg -- millionths of a gram) of cadmium the average person ingests daily, 1-3 mcg is retained by the body.
Cadmium in Cigarette Smoke:
A single cigarette typically contains 1-2 mcg of cadmium. When burned, cadmium is present at a level of 1,000-3,000 ppb in the smoke. Approximately 40 to 60 percent of the cadmium inhaled from cigarette smoke is able to pass through the lungs and into the body. This means that for each pack of cigarettes smoked, a person can absorb an additional 1-3 mcg of cadmium over what is taken in from other sources in their daily life.
Smokers typically have twice as much cadmium in their bodies as non-smokers.
Other Sources of Cadmium Exposure:
People who work in certain high-risk occupations may face an increased risk of cadmium exposure. This would include people who work with:
- Soldering
- Welding
- Battery, plastics and textile manufacturing
The Safe Level of Exposure to Cadmium for Humans:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that a safe level cadmium in drinking water is 5 ppb or less. The EPA believes that this level of exposure to cadmium will not produce any of the health problems associated with cadmium.
Health Risks Associated with Cadmium Exposure:
Acute exposure to ingested cadmium can produce the following symptoms:
- nausea, vomiting
- diarrhea
- muscle cramps
- salivation
- sensory disturbances
- liver injury
- convulsions
- shock
- renal failure
Chronic, long-term exposure to cadmium at levels above what is considered safe by the EPA may cause lung, kidney, liver, bone or blood damage.
Cadmium and Cancer:
While definitive conclusions have yet to be drawn, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have determined that cadmium probably causes cancer.
The Bottom Line
Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal and is present in large quantities in inhaled cigarette smoke. It damages lung tissue and can build up over time to cause kidney, liver, bone and blood damage. And, cadmium is just one of the hundreds of toxins present in cigarette smoke. Waste no time kicking your smoking habit to the curb. It offers you nothing more than disease and ultimately -- death.Sources:
Consumer Factsheet on Cadmium. 28 November, 2006. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Cadmium Factsheet. April, 2010. Centers for Disease Control.
Public Health Statement for Cadmium. July, 1999. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
