Cadmium Poisoning, Which Can Harm Your Kidneys and Reduce Your Bone Density
© 2026 Health Realizations, Inc.
There was both good and bad news in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) monumental "Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals."
Good news first. The study, which CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding says is the "largest and most comprehensive report of its kind ever released anywhere by anyone," found that secondhand smoke exposure among Americans has gone down significantly, as have lead blood levels in children.
Specifically, from 1999 to 2002, exposure to secondhand smoke, as measured by median levels of cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, decreased (compared to levels from 1988-1991):
And, only 1.6 percent of children between the ages of 1 and 5 had elevated blood lead levels, compared to 4.4 percent in the early 1990s.
Cadmium Levels Raise Concern
Now for the bad news.
About 5 percent of people aged 20 and over had urinary cadmium levels at or near levels that may cause health problems. Studies have found that urine levels of cadmium as low as 1 microgram per gram of creatinine may be linked to kidney injury and an increased risk for low bone mineral density.
What is Cadmium?
Cadmium is a metal found naturally in the earth's crust, but because it reacts readily with other elements like oxygen, chlorine and sulfur, it's rarely found in pure form.
Certain forms of cadmium, cadmium sulfates and cadmium chlorides also dissolve extremely easily in water, so much so that they're rarely found in solid form.
Cadmium accumulates in the body and can stay there for many years. The metal accumulates most often in the bones, liver and kidneys and can cause damage to these areas. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) also says that cadmium and cadmium compounds may "reasonably be anticipated to be carcinogens."
Other potential health effects include, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR):
-
Animals given cadmium in food or water had high blood pressure, iron-poor blood, liver disease, and nerve or brain damage
Cadmium has been linked to other health risks as well, including:
How are People Exposed to Cadmium?
More than 90 percent of people's exposure to cadmium comes from food, according to ATSDR. Low levels are found in all foods, with shellfish, liver and kidney meats having the highest levels.
Cigarette smoke is another major source of the metal, and is absorbed by the body more readily than that from food and water. Whereas only 5 percent to 10 percent of cadmium from food is absorbed into the bloodstream, 40 percent to 60 percent of cadmium inhaled from cigarette smoke is absorbed.
Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day can increase cadmium levels tenfold, and the ATSDR says smoking doubles the average daily intake of cadmium.
Cadmium is also used in manufacturing batteries, pigments, metal coatings and plastics, so living near or working in one of these facilities could increase your exposure through air or water (it's estimated that 4,000 to 13,000 tons of cadmium are released into the environment every year due to such processes). Drinking contaminated water is also a source.
How to Reduce Your Exposure
There are ways to reduce your exposure to cadmium, particularly if you work in a related industry (metal processing, electroplating, battery manufacture, ore refineries). If this applies to you, be sure to carefully follow all workplace safety procedures. Also take special care not to bring cadmium dust into your home via shoes, clothing and tools. You may also want to shower when you get home to remove any dust on your body and hair.
For everyone, to reduce cadmium exposure to yourself and your family:
Sources
NIH: Cadmium toxicity and treatment: An update - PMC
NIC 2025 Cadmium - Cancer-Causing Substances
ScienceDirect 2025 Exposure to cadmium and its impacts on human health
Cadmium | Children's Environmental Health Collaborative
BU-703: Health Concerns with Batteries [2021]
National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental ...
Dartmouth Toxic Metal Research
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
[2025 PDF] IP FOR ARSENIC, CADMIUM, CHROMIUM, AND LEAD
IP FOR ARSENIC, CADMIUM, CHROMIUM, AND LEAD 133 Appendix A: Background Information for Lead A.1 Toxicokinetics Gastrointestinal absorption of soluble lead salts in adult humans can be high during fasting (40–50%)
