Impact of cadmium exposure on human health with a focus on Bangladesh
Date
2014-03Publisher
© 2014 European Journal of Toxicological SciencesMetadata
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Kabir, E. R., Sheikh, Z., & Sayka , K. T. T. (2014). Impact of cadmium exposure on human health with a focus on Bangladesh. European Journal of Toxicological Sciences.Abstract
The environment in which we claim to “live” in has become a huge reservoir of toxic metals. Human
health is under constant risk of deterioration due to increasing chronic exposure of such metals that adversely affect
the quality of life of people. The deterioration of human health due to exposure to heavy metals has become a major
issue of concern worldwide. Although adverse health effects caused by heavy metals have been known for a long
time, exposure to heavy metals continues, and is even increasing in some parts of the world, particularly in less
developed countries, even though emissions have declined in most developed countries over the last 100 years. One
such heavy metal with a high toxicity found in the earth’s crust, associated with zinc, lead and copper ores is
cadmium. Exposure to cadmium has long been recognized as a health hazard, both in industry and in general
populations with high exposure. However, cadmium is toxic at very low exposure levels and has acute and chronic
effects on health and environment which is thus the cause of great concern. The parts of body that are potentially
affected from exposures to cadmium mainly involve the kidney, liver, lung, heart and bone. If one is exposed to
cadmium or cadmium compounds, a number of factors will determine whether or not the person will be affected.
These factors include not only dose and duration of contact, how he/she comes in contact with it but parameters such
as age, sex, diet, family traits, lifestyle, and state of health also tend to contribute to determine the extent of exposure
(ATSDR, 2012). The objective of this paper is to review available information on possible toxicities of cadmium on
human health. Our aim in this study was to identify the possible impacts of cadmium on human health, with the
ultimate goal of proposing the rationale for future quantitative research of cadmium in Bangladesh