ToxFAQs for Cadmium This site on cadmium, in a "frequently asked questions" format, was produced by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The mission of the ATSDR is "to prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and other sources of pollution present in the environment." The FAQ is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. Site includes phone contacts for additional information and a listing of related resources.

WebElements Periodic Table: Cadmium Includes extensive information on the chemical properties of cadmium, from the simple to the complex. Designed for students and for curious, somewhat science-savvy citizens. Includes geology, bond enthalpies, and uses, and details properties, compounds, and interdisciplinary value.

OSHA Substance Safety Fact Sheet--Cadmium Produced by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, this site provides details on the health hazards of exposure to cadmium in the workplace. This summary, known among occupational health professionals as a Substance Safety Data Sheet, includes first-aid procedures for toxic exposures, information for employees working in cadmium containing environments and extensive medical information about diseases caused or aggravated by cadmium exposure. There is extensive information on OSHA regulation of cadmium in the workplace, including responsiblities of employees and employers, information for physicians, a bibliography and links to texts of OSHA regulations. This site has good information though users must sort through much to find what is useful.

Environmental Health Fact Sheet — Cadmium. Illinois Department of Public Health. A fairly comprehensive fact sheet about where cadmium comes from, how it gets into people, and what it can do in the body. Question and answer format, with very understandable language.

Working with Cadmium: Are you at risk? — Health and Safety Executive The Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain is equivalent to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This fact sheet answers the same questions as the page above, but with slightly more detail and with regard to different laws.

Cadmium — U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) The United States OSHA department provides this site on cadmium directed at those in the industrial workplace. The page goes into great detail on the health effects and regulation of cadmium, with connecting links to the exact language of federal health codes and regulations, as well as studies and reports on acute and chronic cadmium exposure. Along with this detail comes more technical and legalistic language; much on this site this is very densely written.

Cadmium Puts Rocky Mountain Wildlife at Risk — Environmental News Network The ENN, a news network for journalists, published this story based on a study published in the science journal Nature. The piece details the first long-term cadmium toxicity studies on an herbivore —the white-tailed ptarmigan. The study postulated that cadmium may cause a build-up of calcium in the body of these birds, reducing their ability to lay eggs and causing fractures.

Lead and Cadmium— Health Canada This page, also available in French, focuses on the lead and cadmium levels in plastic, children’s toys. The page is in a question-and-answer format, with little detail, but in an easily understood language.

Cadmium in Traditional Foods— Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment McGill University of Canada sponsors this Centre. Included in this slideshow-esque page on contamination in native foods (specifically cadmium, mercury, and PCBs) are studies of northern native communities and their cadmium levels. Very easy to understand, and the rest of the presentation is interesting as well.

Cadmium Contamination of Food — ExToxNet FAQs The ExToxNet is a widely respected collaborative effort by several universities across the country. This site documents and distributes information on all kinds of toxic substances, from fertilizers to metals. This page outlines the ways in which cadmium can get into food and what is being done to prevent this.

Minerals/Cadmium — HealthWorld Online This excerpt from "Staying Healthy with Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine" (by Dr. Elson M. Haas) focuses, again, on where cadmium comes from and what it can do. This goes into quite a bit more detail than other sites, yet still with understandable language. In addition, this reading introduces zinc as an important player in cadmium intake and toxicity.

Role of Cadmium in Male Infertility Study — This is technically a page soliciting test subjects for an infertility study. However, at the bottom of the page are several journal articles and other publications that can be accessed over the web in full text, all having to do with cadmium’s effect on male fertility.



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