Cadmium and its compounds: Evaluation of risks to health from environmental exposure in Canada

Abstract

In this assessment of “cadmium and its compounds” as a Priority Substance under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, available data on exposure and potential health effects of various forms of cadmium likely to be present in the environment were critically evaluated. Based largely on the carcinogenicity of inorganic cadmium compounds in several studies in rats following long‐term exposure by inhalation, and supporting information on genotoxicity, inorganic cadmium compounds have been classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans”. Based on comparison of concentrations of total cadmium in ambient air and those in the vicinity of some industrial sources in Canada with the potential of inhaled cadmium compounds to induce tumours, the priority for analysis of options to reduce exposure in the general environment is considered to be high compared to that of other substances assessed in the Priority Substances program. Available data also indicate that some members of the general population in Canada are exposed to cadmium in amounts that are at or near those that have been associated with mild effects on the kidney in recent cross‐sectional epidemiological studies.

Notes

Author to whom correspondence or requests for the complete Assessment report and (unpublished) Supporting Documentation should be addressed.