Cadmium is a dangerous dose. The effect of cadmium on the human body. Lack of cadmium in the body

What is cadmium? It is a heavy metal that is obtained by smelting other metals such as zinc, copper or lead. It is widely used in the manufacture of nickel-cadmium batteries. Besides, cigarette smoke also contains such an element. As a result of continuous exposure to cadmium, very serious illnesses lungs and kidneys. Let's look at the features of this metal in more detail.

Scope of application of cadmium

Most of the industrial use of this metal is in protective coatings, which protect metals from corrosion. This coating has a great advantage over zinc, nickel or tin, because it does not peel off when deformed.

What other uses can cadmium have? It is used to produce alloys that are remarkably amenable to machining. Cadmium alloys with minor additions of copper, nickel and silver are used for the manufacture of bearings for automobile, aircraft and marine engines.

Where else is cadmium used?

Welders, metallurgists and workers in the textile, electronics and battery industries are most at risk from cadmium poisoning. Nickel-cadmium batteries are used in mobile phones and others electronic devices. This metal is also used in the production of plastics, paints, and metal coatings. Many soils that are regularly fertilized may also contain this toxic metal in large quantities.

Heavy metal cadmium: properties

Cadmium, as well as its compounds, are characterized as carcinogenic substances, but it has not been proven that a small amount of element in the environment causes cancer. Inhalation of industrial metal particles does contribute to the development of lung cancer, but they do not pose a cancer risk when contaminated food is consumed.

How does cadmium enter the human body?

Everyone has known for a long time that cigarette smoke contains cadmium. This heavy metal enters the smoker's body in an amount twice as large as that of a person who is not exposed to it. bad habit. However passive smoking can cause harm.

Leafy vegetables, grains and potatoes grown in soil containing high levels of cadmium may pose a risk. Increased content This metal is also famous for the liver and kidneys sea creatures and animals.

Many industrial enterprises, especially metallurgical enterprises, emit large amounts of cadmium into the atmosphere. People living near such enterprises are automatically included in the risk group.

Some agricultural areas actively use phosphate fertilizers, which contain small amounts of cadmium. Products grown on this land pose a potential threat to humans.

The impact of cadmium on the human body

Thus, we have figured out what cadmium is. The effect of this heavy metal on the human body can cause negative consequences. In any living organism it is found in small quantities, and its biological role has not yet been fully clarified. Cadmium is usually associated with a negative function.

Its toxic effect is based on blocking sulfur-containing amino acids, which leads to disruption of protein metabolism and damage to the cell nucleus. This heavy metal promotes the removal of calcium from bones and affects nervous system. It can accumulate in the kidneys and liver, and is excreted from the body very slowly. This process can take decades. Cadmium is usually excreted in urine and feces.

Inhalation of cadmium

This element enters the body of industrial workers through inhalation. To prevent this, use effective protective equipment. Neglecting this rule leads to dire consequences. If you inhale cadmium, the effect of such a metal on the human body is manifested as follows: body temperature rises, chills and muscle pain appear.

After some time, damage to the lungs occurs, chest pain, shortness of breath, and cough occur. IN severe cases This condition causes the death of the patient. Inhalation of air containing cadmium contributes to the development of kidney disease and osteoporosis. The likelihood of lung cancer increases several times.

Cadmium intake from food

Why is cadmium dangerous in water and food? At regular use contaminated food and water, this metal begins to accumulate in the body, which leads to negative consequences: kidney function is impaired, weakening occurs bone tissue, the liver and heart are affected, and in severe cases, death occurs.

Eating foods contaminated with cadmium may cause stomach irritation, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. In addition, flu-like symptoms appear, swelling of the larynx develops, and tingling occurs in the hands.

Causes of cadmium poisoning

Heavy metal poisoning most often occurs in children, diabetics, pregnant and lactating women, and people who abuse smoking. In Japan, cadmium intoxication occurs as a result of eating contaminated rice. In this case, apathy develops, the kidneys are affected, the bones soften and become deformed.

Industrialized areas, where oil refineries and metallurgical plants are located, are famous for the fact that the soil there is contaminated with cadmium. If plant products are grown in such places, there is a high probability that heavy metal poisoning will occur.

Element in large quantities may accumulate in tobacco. If the raw material is dried, the metal content increases sharply. Cadmium enters the body through both active and passive smoking. The occurrence of lung cancer directly depends on the metal content in smoke.

Treatment for poisoning

Symptoms of cadmium poisoning:

damage to the central nervous system; acute bone pain; protein in the urine; kidney stones; genital dysfunction.

If it happened acute poisoning, the victim should be kept warm, he needs to be provided with an influx of fresh air and peace. After gastric lavage, he should be given warm milk, to which they add a little baking soda. There are no antidotes for cadmium. To neutralize the metal, Unithiol, steroids and diuretics are used. Complex treatment involves the use of cadmium antagonists (zinc, iron, selenium, vitamins). The doctor may prescribe a restorative diet containing large amounts of fiber and pectin.

Possible consequences

A metal such as cadmium has a very serious effect on the human body, and if poisoning with this element occurs, the consequences can be dangerous. It displaces calcium from bones, contributing to the development of osteoporosis. In adults and children, the spine begins to bend and bones become deformed. IN childhood such poisoning leads to encephalopathy and neuropathy.

Conclusion

Thus, we have analyzed what a heavy metal like cadmium is. The effect of this element on the human body is quite serious. Gradually accumulating in the body, it leads to the destruction of many organs. You can even become poisoned by cadmium if you consume large quantities of contaminated foods. The consequences of poisoning are also quite dangerous.

Beauty and health Healthy body Chemical composition products

This “dangerous” element gets its name from the Greek word meaning zinc ore, since cadmium is a silvery-white soft metal used in fusible and other alloys, for protective coatings, and in nuclear power. This by-product, which is obtained by processing zinc ores.

Large amounts of cadmium are very dangerous to health.

Why is cadmium dangerous?

People are poisoned by cadmium by consuming water and grains and vegetables growing on lands located near oil refineries and metallurgical plants. Appear unbearable pain in muscles, involuntary bone fractures (cadmium can wash calcium out of the body), skeletal deformation, dysfunction of the lungs, kidneys and other organs. Excess cadmium can cause malignant tumors.

Carcinogenic effect of nicotine found in tobacco smoke, as a rule, is associated with the presence of cadmium.

Cadmium is excreted in feces and urine, but not more than 48 mg per day. Most of all it accumulates in the liver and kidneys, a little - in the blood.

The more developed industry is in a country, the greater, unfortunately, is the concentration of this element in the soil. In the presence of superphosphates, plants absorb cadmium in large quantities, and if there are few superphosphates, then cadmium may not be absorbed or may be absorbed in minimal quantities.

Cadmium is one of the most toxic heavy metals classified as hazard class 2 - “highly hazardous substances”. Like many other heavy metals, cadmium has a clear tendency to accumulate in the body - its half-life is 10-35 years. By the age of 50, its total weight content in the human body can reach 30-50 mg. The main “storage” of cadmium in the body are the kidneys (30-60% of the total amount) and the liver (20-25%). The rest of the cadmium is found in the pancreas, spleen, tubular bones, and other organs and tissues. Basically, cadmium is found in the body in a bound state - in a complex with the metallothionein protein (thus being the body’s natural defense; according to the latest data, alpha-2 globulin also binds cadmium), and in this form it is less toxic, although it is far from harmless . Even “bound” cadmium, accumulating over years, can lead to health problems, in particular, disruption of the kidneys and increased likelihood formation of kidney stones. In addition, part of the cadmium remains in a more toxic ionic form. Cadmium is chemically very close to zinc and is capable of replacing it in biochemical reactions, for example, act as a pseudo-activator or, conversely, an inhibitor of zinc-containing proteins and enzymes (and there are more than two hundred of them in the human body).

Cadmium poisoning

First of all, industrial enterprises must be provided with high-quality cleaners, despite their colossal high cost. Housing, fields, rivers, lakes should be located at a considerable distance from such enterprises. An irreconcilable fight against smoking is necessary. In addition, the absorption of cadmium can be reduced by simultaneously administering selenium, which serves as an antidote not only to mercury, but also to other metals.

However, eating foods rich in selenium tends to reduce the sulfur content, and cadmium becomes dangerous again. An excessive dose of this trace element can affect metabolism. For example, the excess of cadmium is higher than the accepted average norm 50 mcg may interfere salt metabolism: iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium and copper. There is an antagonism between cadmium and iron, so geochemical studies should predict nutritional value product, taking into account the presence of antagonistic elements.

That's why in rusty water pipes instead of iron there is an excess of cadmium - dangerous enemy our body.

Cadmium enters the body through cigarette smoke, some types of paint, water, coffee, tea and contaminated foods, especially refined grains. Cadmium is found in soil, particularly in areas where zinc is naturally deposited. This heavy metal can interfere normal action zinc in the body, affecting the immune system, prostate gland and bones.

Main problems associated with cadmium.

Cadmium causes moderate and moderate toxicity in humans. medium degree gravity. It can damage the kidneys and impair blood pressure, being one of the factors in the development of hypertension. This heavy metal is not as toxic as lead or mercury because it does not appear to reach the brain. The toxicity of cadmium can be reduced and removed from tissues in severe cases of poisoning by administering vitamins intravenously. For the same purpose, preparations containing zinc, copper, iron, and selenium are used.

Avoid exposure to cigarette smoke, contaminated seafood and refined foods, while maintaining adequate levels of zinc in your body.

Acute food poisoning Cadmium exposure occurs when large single doses are taken with food (15-30 mg) or water (13-15 mg). In this case, there are signs acute gastroenteritis- vomiting, pain and cramps in epigastric region. Much poisoning is more dangerous cadmium by inhaling its vapors or cadmium-containing dust (usually in industries associated with the use of cadmium). Symptoms of such poisoning are pulmonary edema, headache, nausea or vomiting, chills, weakness and diarrhea. Deaths have been recorded as a result of such poisonings.

Cadmium is considered to be responsible for the development of damage to the kidneys, nervous system, testes in men and ovaries in women. In addition, it increases blood pressure and is possibly a carcinogen. Women who are deficient in iron and calcium are most susceptible to cadmium intoxication. Typically these conditions occur during pregnancy, breastfeeding or with large blood loss in critical days. Among men, the risk group is made up of smokers: from one pack of cigarettes, the body absorbs approximately 1 mcg of cadmium. The absorption of cadmium is hindered by iron, calcium and zinc, but by overdosing on these metals, you can also overdose on them.

Tags: cadmium, why cadmium is dangerous, cadmium poisoning

Cadmium in the biosphere and its effect on living organisms

2.4 Dangerous action cadmium on the body. Cadmium poisoning

This “dangerous” element gets its name from the Greek word meaning zinc ore, since cadmium is a silvery-white soft metal used in fusible and other alloys, for protective coatings, and in nuclear power. It is a by-product obtained from the processing of zinc ores.

Large amounts of cadmium are very dangerous to health.

People are poisoned by cadmium by consuming water and grains and vegetables growing on lands located near oil refineries and metallurgical plants. Unbearable muscle pain, involuntary bone fractures (cadmium can wash calcium out of the body), skeletal deformation, dysfunction of the lungs, kidneys and other organs appear. Excess cadmium can cause malignant tumors.

The carcinogenic effect of nicotine in tobacco smoke is usually associated with the presence of cadmium.

Cadmium is excreted in feces and urine, but not more than 48 mg per day. Most of all it accumulates in the liver and kidneys, a little - in the blood.

Cadmium is one of the most toxic heavy metals and is classified in hazard class 2 - “highly hazardous substances”. Like many other heavy metals, cadmium has a clear tendency to accumulate in the body - its half-life is 10-35 years. By the age of 50, its total weight content in the human body can reach 30-50 mg. The main “storage” of cadmium in the body are the kidneys (30-60% of the total amount) and the liver (20-25%). The rest of the cadmium is found in the pancreas, spleen, tubular bones, and other organs and tissues. Basically, cadmium is found in the body in a bound state - in a complex with the metallothionein protein (thus being the body’s natural defense; according to the latest data, alpha-2 globulin also binds cadmium), and in this form it is less toxic, although it is far from harmless . Even “bound” cadmium, accumulating over years, can lead to health problems, in particular to impaired kidney function and an increased likelihood of kidney stones. In addition, part of the cadmium remains in a more toxic ionic form. Cadmium is chemically very close to zinc and is capable of replacing it in biochemical reactions, for example, acting as a pseudo-activator or, conversely, an inhibitor of zinc-containing proteins and enzymes (and there are more than two hundred of them in the human body). Adsorbed through the lungs and gastrointestinal tract, within a few minutes it is detected in the blood. Cadmium has carcinogenic, gonadotropic, embryotropic, mutagenic and nephrotoxic effects. Real threat adverse effects on the population even at low levels of pollution is associated with high biological accumulation of this metal. Consequences of short contact with high concentrations cadmium in the air leads to pulmonary fibrosis, persistent impairment of pulmonary and hepatic functions. Up to 50% of Cd that enters the body is deposited in the lungs by inhalation. In the gastrointestinal tract, Cd adsorption averages 5%. The target organs of Cd are the liver, kidneys, Bone marrow, sperm, tubular bones and partly the spleen. Cadmium is deposited in the liver and kidneys, where it contains up to 30% of total number in organism.

2.5 How to protect the body from the effects of cadmium

cadmium application environment

However, eating foods rich in selenium tends to reduce the sulfur content, and cadmium becomes dangerous again. An excessive dose of this trace element can affect metabolism. For example, an excess of cadmium above the accepted average norm of 50 mcg can disrupt salt metabolism: iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium and copper. Antagonism exists between cadmium and iron, so geochemical studies must predict the nutritional value of the product, taking into account the presence of antagonistic elements.

That is why, instead of iron, rusted water pipes contain an excess of cadmium - a dangerous enemy of our body.

Cadmium enters the body through cigarette smoke, some types of paint, water, coffee, tea and contaminated foods, especially refined grains. Cadmium is found in soil, particularly in areas where zinc is naturally deposited. This heavy metal can interfere with the normal functioning of zinc in the body, affecting the immune system, prostate gland and bones.

Main problems associated with cadmium.

Cadmium causes mild to moderate toxicity in humans. It can damage the kidneys and affect blood pressure, being a factor in the development of hypertension. This heavy metal is not as toxic as lead or mercury because it does not appear to reach the brain.

The toxicity of cadmium can be reduced and removed from tissues in severe cases of poisoning by administering vitamins intravenously. For the same purpose, preparations containing zinc, copper, iron, and selenium are used.

Avoid exposure to cigarette smoke, contaminated seafood and refined foods, while maintaining adequate levels of zinc in your body.

Acute food poisoning with cadmium occurs when large single doses are taken with food (15-30 mg) or water (13-15 mg). In this case, signs of acute gastroenteritis are observed - vomiting, pain and cramps in the epigastric region. Much more dangerous is cadmium poisoning when inhaling its vapors or cadmium-containing dust (as a rule, in industries associated with the use of cadmium). Symptoms of such poisoning include pulmonary edema, headache, nausea or vomiting, chills, weakness and diarrhea. Deaths have been recorded as a result of such poisonings.

Cadmium is considered to be responsible for the development of damage to the kidneys, nervous system, testes in men and ovaries in women. In addition, it increases blood pressure and is possibly a carcinogen. Women who are deficient in iron and calcium are most susceptible to cadmium intoxication. Typically, these conditions occur during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or with large blood loss during menstrual periods. Among men, the risk group is made up of smokers: from one pack of cigarettes, the body absorbs approximately 1 mcg of cadmium. The absorption of cadmium is hindered by iron, calcium and zinc, but by overdosing on these metals, you can also overdose on them.

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What is cadmium? It is a heavy metal that is obtained by smelting other metals such as zinc, copper or lead. It is widely used in the manufacture of nickel-cadmium batteries. In addition, cigarette smoke also contains such an element. As a result of continuous exposure to cadmium, very severe lung and kidney diseases occur. Let's look at the features of this metal in more detail.

Scope of application of cadmium

Where else is cadmium used?

Welders, metallurgists and workers in the textile, electronics and battery industries are most at risk from cadmium poisoning. Nickel-cadmium batteries are used in mobile phones and other electronic devices. This metal is also used in the production of plastics, paints, and metal coatings. Many soils that are regularly fertilized may also contain high levels of this toxic metal.

cadmium: properties

Cadmium, as well as its compounds, have been characterized as but have not been proven to cause cancer in small amounts of the element in the environment. Inhalation of industrial metal particles does contribute to the development of lung cancer, but they do not pose a cancer risk when contaminated food is consumed.

How does cadmium enter the human body?

Everyone has known for a long time that cigarette smoke contains cadmium. This heavy metal enters the smoker's body in an amount twice as large as that of a person who is not subject to such a bad habit. However, passive smoking can be harmful.

Leafy vegetables, grains and potatoes grown in soil containing high levels of cadmium may pose a risk. The liver and kidneys of marine life and animals are also famous for their high content of this metal.

Many industrial enterprises, especially metallurgical enterprises, emit large amounts of cadmium into the atmosphere. People living near such enterprises are automatically included in the risk group.

Some agricultural areas actively use phosphate fertilizers, which contain small amounts of cadmium. Products grown on this land pose a potential threat to humans.

The impact of cadmium on the human body

Thus, we have figured out what cadmium is. The effect of this heavy metal on the human body can cause negative consequences. It is found in small quantities in any living organism, and its biological role is still not fully understood. Cadmium is usually associated with a negative function.

Its toxic effect is based on blocking sulfur-containing amino acids, which leads to disruption of protein metabolism and damage to the cell nucleus. This heavy metal promotes the removal of calcium from bones and affects the nervous system. It can accumulate in the kidneys and liver, and is excreted from the body very slowly. This process can take decades. Cadmium is usually excreted in urine and feces.

Inhalation of cadmium

After some time, damage to the lungs occurs, chest pain, shortness of breath, and cough occur. In severe cases, this condition causes the death of the patient. Inhalation of air containing cadmium contributes to the development of kidney disease and osteoporosis. The likelihood of lung cancer increases several times.

Cadmium intake from food

Why is cadmium dangerous in water and food? With regular consumption of contaminated foods and water, this metal begins to accumulate in the body, which leads to negative consequences: kidney function is disrupted, bone tissue is weakened, the liver and heart are affected, and in severe cases, death occurs.

Causes of cadmium poisoning

The element can accumulate in large quantities in tobacco. If the raw material is dried, the metal content increases sharply. Cadmium enters the body during both active and active conditions. The occurrence of lung cancer directly depends on the metal content in the smoke.

Treatment for poisoning

Cadmium:

damage to the central nervous system;
sharp bone pain;
protein in urine;
stones in the kidneys;
dysfunction of the genital organs.

If acute poisoning occurs, the victim should be kept warm, he must be provided with fresh air and rest. After washing the stomach, he needs to be given warm milk, to which a little baking soda is added. There are no antidotes for cadmium. To neutralize the metal, Unithiol, steroids and diuretics are used. Complex treatment involves the use of cadmium antagonists (zinc, iron, selenium, vitamins). The doctor may prescribe a restorative diet containing large amounts of fiber and pectin.

Possible consequences

A metal such as cadmium has a very serious effect on the human body, and if poisoning with this element occurs, the consequences can be dangerous. It displaces calcium from bones, contributing to the development of osteoporosis. In adults and children, the spine begins to bend and bones become deformed. In childhood, such poisoning leads to encephalopathy and neuropathy.

Conclusion

The distribution of cadmium in the environment is local. It enters the environment with waste from metallurgical industries, with wastewater from electroplating industries (after cadmium plating), other industries that use cadmium-containing stabilizers, pigments, paints, and as a result of the use of phosphate fertilizers. In addition, cadmium is present in the air of large cities due to tire abrasion, erosion of certain types of plastic products, paints and adhesives.

Cadmium enters drinking water due to contamination of water sources by industrial discharges, with reagents used at the water treatment stage, and also as a result of migration from water supply structures. The share of cadmium entering the body with water, in total daily dose is 5–10%.

The standard content of cadmium in atmospheric air is 0.3 μg/m 3, in water from water sources - 0.001 mg/l, in soils - sandy and sandy loam, acidic and neutral - 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg, respectively. According to WHO recommendations, the permissible level of cadmium intake is 7 μg/kg body weight per week.

In Russia, the largest sources of cadmium emissions into the air are metallurgical plants. The amount of cadmium released into the air currently does not exceed 5 tons per year. Systematic determination of its content in the air is carried out in 50 cities of Russia. It has been established that the average annual concentration of this metal is at the level of 0.1 μg/m 3. In places where cadmium pollution sources are located, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of excess cadmium intake from agricultural products grown on contaminated soils.

Biomonitoring is widely used to determine the impact of cadmium on public health. The main diagnostic medium is urine, from which cadmium is excreted from the body. The first acceptable level of cadmium in urine (9 µg/l) was established by the Japanese Ministry of Health in 1970. Subsequently, the US Association of Occupational Hygienists proposed introducing more low rate– 5 µg/g creatinine (7 µg/l urine) and 5 µg/l blood.

Calculation of the degree of absorption of cadmium by the body indicates the dominant role of the inhalation route of entry. Removal of cadmium occurs slowly. The period of its biological half-life in the body ranges from 15 to 47 years. The main amount of cadmium is excreted from the body in urine (1–2 mcg/day) and feces (10–50 mcg/day).

The amount of cadmium that enters the human body with the air in unpolluted areas, where its content does not exceed 1 μg/m 3, is less than 1% of the daily dose.

Up to 50% of cadmium that enters the body by inhalation is deposited in the lungs. The degree of absorption of cadmium by the lungs depends on the solubility of the compound, its dispersity and functional state respiratory organs. In the gastrointestinal tract, the absorption of cadmium is on average 5%, so the amount that actually enters the body tissues is significantly less than that supplied with food.

The retention of cadmium in the body is influenced by a person’s age. In children and adolescents, the degree of its absorption is 5 times higher than in adults. Cadmium, absorbed through the lungs and gastrointestinal tract, is detected in the blood within a few minutes, but its level quickly decreases during the first day.

An additional source of cadmium entering the body is smoking. One cigarette contains 1–2 mcg of cadmium, and about 10% of it enters the respiratory system. Street smokers who smoke up to 30 cigarettes per day accumulate 13–52 mcg of cadmium in their bodies over 40 years, which exceeds the amount obtained from food.

Cadmium has carcinogenic (group 2A), gonadotropic, embryotropic, mutagenic and nephrotoxic effects. The real threat of adverse effects on the population, even at low levels of pollution, is associated with the high biological accumulation of this metal. The consequences of short contact with high concentrations of cadmium in the air of the work area lead to pulmonary fibrosis, a persistent impairment of pulmonary and hepatic functions.

The target organs of cadmium are the lungs, liver, kidneys, bone marrow, sperm, long bones and partly the spleen. Cadmium is deposited in the liver and kidneys, where it is contained up to 30% of the total amount in the body. Comparative determination of cadmium content in renal tissue people who lived in the 19th century, and those who died from various diseases at the end of the 20th century, showed that the concentration of cadmium in the kidneys of representatives of the 20th century. 4 times higher (Tetior A. N., 2008).

The most severe form chronic poisoning cadmium is an itai-itai disease, first discovered in 1946 in Japan. For many years, the population lived on rice grown in fields irrigated by water from a river into which cadmium leaked from the mine. Its concentration in rice, as it turned out, reached 1 μg/g, and intake into the body exceeded 300 μg. Since the disease mainly affected women over 45 years of age who had numerous pregnancies, it is likely that a lack of vitamin D and calcium, as well as exhaustion of the body during pregnancy, were predisposing pathogenetic factors for the occurrence of this disease. Itai-itai is characterized by skeletal deformation with a noticeable decrease in height, accompanied by pain in the lower back and leg muscles, and a duck's gait. And kidney damage is similar to the symptoms that occur with chronic occupational cadmium poisoning.

Changes in kidney function when exposed to cadmium have been found by researchers in other countries around the world. In Belgium (province of Liege), renal dysfunction (up to deaths) in women living near a metallurgical plant. Certain renal dysfunctions were identified by K. A. Bushtueva, B. A. Revich, L. E. Bezpalko (1989) and in Russian women - residents of Vladikavkaz.

The carcinogenic effect of cadmium is manifested in an increase in the incidence of prostate cancer in cadmium production workers. The lifetime carcinogenic risk when exposed to a cadmium concentration of 1 μg/m 3 is 1.8-10-3 (Revich B. A., 2002).

In the population of a modern metropolis, due to the influence of a number of negative factors environment, there is an accumulation of various chemical, including toxic, elements in the body, which poses a problem for doctors of various profiles and society. This situation leads to deterioration in health, especially among children.

According to literature data and observations of specialists, in the body of children of a modern metropolis, an excess of biological permissible levels a number of toxic metals, among which the accumulation of cadmium occupies a significant place.

Cadmium is not essential chemical element for the human body. This element is practically absent in the body of newborns; with age, it accumulates in the body, and up to the age of 50, its total content can reach 20-30 mg. Based on its average content in the body of mammals, cadmium is classified as a trace element. In nature, cadmium is found in soil, ores, sea water, enters the atmosphere as a result of volcanic eruptions and release from plants. Significant sources of cadmium pollution in the environment come from zinc mining and metallurgy, the electronics industry, the paint industry, the electrical industry, and superphosphate fertilizers. With the development of modern technologies, the anthropogenic contribution of cadmium into the atmosphere from steel mills and waste treatment plants is 3 times greater than natural ways. Cadmium is a toxicant with a high ability to accumulate in tissues and organs.

Cadmium enters the human body through the gastrointestinal tract (per day on average 20-50 mcg with food and 0.1 mcg with drinking water) And Airways(0.02 mcg). Cadmium content in food products increases when used in agriculture fertilizers and wastewater contaminated with this metal. Contamination of food with cadmium is facilitated by the use of pesticides containing this metal, utensils made of polyvinyl chloride stabilized with organocadmium compounds, utensils coated with enamels and pigments containing cadmium, and cellulose-based packaging materials.

Feature biological action cadmium is its ability to negatively affect human health with prolonged exposure low levels pollution due to the high coefficient of biological cumulation (up to 40 years). It is known that cadmium can significantly alter the metabolism and functions of such essential elements as zinc, iron, copper, manganese, calcium, and selenium.

The target organs for cadmium intoxication are the kidneys, bone marrow, sperm, liver, long bones and partly the spleen. It is known that heavy metals are deposited in hair, nails and bones, thus realizing the body's protective reaction against certain heavy metals, including cadmium, when the mechanism of deposition and inactivation is carried out. The toxic effects of cadmium are less pronounced than other toxic elements due to its partial binding by the metallothionein protein.

Cadmium is an immunotoxic element. In chronic cadmiosis, the genitourinary, bronchopulmonary system, anemia develops associated with decreased absorption of iron in the intestine and lysis of red blood cells, increases arterial pressure, spermatogenesis is disrupted.