Cadmium is extremely toxic, we can be poisoned by  this heavy metal through a variety of ways such as eating, toys, jewelry, batteries or cigarettes.

Cadmium (Cd) is a rare, soft, bluish and toxic metal, which usually exists in zinc ores and is used primarily in batteries. Cd and its solutions, compounds are extremely toxic substances, even in low concentrations, they can accumulate and cause harm to the body. When the soil is contaminated with Cd, the crops are easily contaminated  and cadmium can enter the human body through eating.

Common application of Cd is  in batteries manufacturing and metal plating. In addition, due to the effect of beautiful colors, it is often used as coloring agent in the manufacture of paint.

Because Cd is very toxic, even many times more toxic than lead, it is prescribed that Cd should not exceed the allowable limits in the environment, particularly in products containing these toxic compounds.

The worst thing is that you can easily encounter this toxic substance in daily life:

Lead recycling plants are also  polluted with excessive amount of cadmium

- Cigarettes: According to information posted by Dantri.com, cadmium accumulates in tobacco leaves if the soil contains this metal. The average concentration of cadmium in the adult blood is about 0.376 μg / L, and in the body of heavy smokers can be as high as 1.58μg / L.

- Children's toys: When producing painted toys and children's jewelry, they usually use raw zinc, paints, colors, plastic (with cadmium), or cadmium itself as a polishing material, said “Health & Life” Magazine.

- Jewelry: Since this metal is presented in zinc ores, jewelry made from it, can makes the exposed person poisoned if it was not  properly filtered.

- Water, air, soil: all these environments can contain cadmium if  they are  located  near the plants which release this metal.

- Battery: Only some batteries contain cadmium. If being ingested, bitten or accidentally swallowed, it will cause poisoning.

Depending on the concentration, cadmium can poison the body in different ways:

- Acute poisoning: Within 4 to 24 hours (depending on dose, infection), it will cause chest pain, shortness of breath, cyanosis, fever, bradycardia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

- Chronic poisoning: for example, if a person has Golden tooth enamel, he is exposed to chronic cadmium poisoning. Symptoms: liver dysfunction (enzyme increasing), bone pain, anemia, hypertension, fetal malformation.

Chinese toys contain high cadmium rates, they should not be bought for children

- In long term, cadmium disturbs biochemical activity of calcium, zinc and many other biochemical activity systems, slows growth of bones, provokes rickets (in children), osteoporosis (with old people), causes multiple pathologies and can lead to death. In particular, it is the cause of prostate, lung and breast cancer.

To determine if you have a cadmium intoxication or not, you should test your blood, urine, hair or nails. It will show the exposure result both recently and in the past.

To reduce the possibility of cadmium poisoning, you should:

• Be aware of the source of  water you drink and use in the household; soil, where the vegetables and fruit you eat were grown; the  area you live in. All these environments should be  located far from  the site of cadmium contamination;
• When buying toys, jewelry you need to choose the reputable, quality-tested products;
• Do not smoke. Cigarette smoking is the largest source of exposure to cadmium for the body;
• Have a balanced diet, providing enough calcium, protein and zinc.