cadmium
Meaning of cadmium: Cadmium is a naturally occurring heavy metal used in industry that can accumulate in the body and cause kidney damage with prolonged exposure.
Definition of cadmium
Cadmium is a metallic element that occurs naturally in small amounts in soil, water, and air, and it is also produced as a byproduct of zinc refining. Industrially, it has been used in batteries, pigments, plastics, metal alloys, and electroplating, and it is present in tobacco smoke.
Cadmium enters the body mainly through inhalation, such as with occupational exposure or smoking, or through food grown in cadmium containing soil. Once absorbed, cadmium accumulates in the body, particularly in the kidneys, over a long period, since it is eliminated very slowly.
Prolonged exposure to elevated cadmium levels is associated with kidney damage, weakened bones, and lung cancer, particularly with sustained occupational inhalation, and cadmium is classified as a substance known to cause cancer in humans based on evidence from studies of exposed workers.
Used in a sentence
Occupational history included a period of cadmium exposure relevant to the patient's kidney evaluation.
Good to know
Cadmium accumulates in the body over time because it is eliminated very slowly, so its health effects generally reflect long term cumulative exposure rather than a single brief contact.
Word origin
Where “cadmium” comes from
Formed from Latin cadmia, an old name for a zinc bearing ore in which the element was first identified, itself derived from the name Cadmus in Greek legend.