ATSDR - Toxic Substances - Cadmium
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Cadmium

CAS ID #: 7440-43-9

Affected Organ Systems: Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Vessels), Developmental (effects during periods when organs are developing) , Gastrointestinal (Digestive), Neurological (Nervous System), Renal (Urinary System or Kidneys), Reproductive (Producing Children), Respiratory (From the Nose to the Lungs)

Cancer Classification: NTP: Known to be a human carcinogen. EPA: Probable human carcinogen. IARC: Carcinogenic to humans

Please contact NTP, IARC, or EPA’s IRIS Hotline with questions on cancer and cancer classification.

Chemical Classification: Inorganic substances

Summary: Cadmium is a natural element in the earth's crust. It is usually found as a mineral combined with other elements such as oxygen (cadmium oxide), chlorine (cadmium chloride), or sulfur (cadmium sulfate, cadmium sulfide).

All soils and rocks, including coal and mineral fertilizers, contain some cadmium. Most cadmium used in the United States is extracted during the production of other metals like zinc, lead, and copper. Cadmium does not corrode easily and has many uses, including batteries, pigments, metal coatings, and plastics.

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  • Corpus Christi

    Between 1995 and 2008, private citizens petitioned ATSDR about health concerns related to chemicals in the city's air, water, and soil. The petitions focused on

    - Chemicals released to soil from a former smelter;
    - Chemicals released to air, soil, and water from two landfills;
    - Chemicals released to air from refineries and petrochemical companies; and,
    - Whether high birth-defect rates in the Corpus Christi area were in any way related to activities at area industrial sites, or to releases from those sites.

  • Midlothian

    ATSDR and Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) are conducting an extensive review of environmental health concerns raised by the community members in Midlothian, Texas to determine if chemical releases from local industries could or have affected the health of persons and animals in the area.

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