2023-12-04 13:03:26
What is cadmium?
Cadmium is a metal found naturally in soils.
Certain human activities, such as agricultural (fertilizers) and industrial (metalworking) activities, can increase its presence in the soil.
How are we exposed to cadmium?
The main source of exposure to cadmium is food. Indeed, in the soil it easily penetrates plants through their roots and thus enters the food chain. Smokers are also exposed to cadmium through inhalation of tobacco smoke. On the other hand, in an industrial environment, professionals are exposed via ambient air.
What foods contain cadmium?
Foods that concentrate cadmium and have a high content are crustaceans and molluscs, offal, sweet and savory biscuits, as well as cereal bars and chocolate.
The foods that contribute the most to cadmium intake vary depending on the quantities consumed by the French population:
- the bread,
- the vegetables,
- potatoes and products containing them.
THE algues also particularly tend to accumulate this element present in the marine environment: almost a quarter of algae intended for food exceed the maximum recommended concentration value.
At what level are we exposed to cadmium?
Currently, certain populations are more exposed than others to cadmium through food. According to the second total diet study and the total infant diet study by ANSES, a proportion of adults and children have dietary exposures exceeding the tolerable daily intake by ingestion for cadmium:
- 0.6% of adult consumers,
- 14% of child consumers aged 3 to 17,
- Up to 36% of consumers children under 3 years old
What are the health consequences of cadmium?
Recognized as carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic for reproduction, cadmium causes kidney damage and bone fragility during prolonged exposure, particularly orally via food and drinking water.
What are ANSES’s recommendations for reducing exposure to cadmium?
Generally speaking, varying your diet helps limit your exposure.
However, according to the Agency, action must be taken at the source, in particular at the level of fertilizing materials which are partly responsible for the increase in the concentration of cadmium in soils and, ultimately, its content in foods. To this end, the Agency had proposed new threshold values in order to avoid the occurrence of health effects and to better protect consumers and workers.
What is ANSES’s work?
The Agency conducts scientific assessments to assess exposure from different sources and routes of exposure (food, tobacco). Its expertise has made it possible to establish health values to limit the population’s exposure to cadmium.
The Agency is also very involved in improving contamination monitoring of the food chain. She notably participated in work dedicated to cadmium, carried out within the framework of the National Platform for Health Surveillance of the Food Chain, SCA. Recommendations were made to improve the functioning of the systems and harmonize monitoring practices such as sampling methods, analysis methods applied, data quality and interoperability, strengthening collaboration and dissemination of results. and information produced.
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