Levels of cadmium in kidney and liver tissues among a Canadian population (province of Québec)

In an exploratory study, levels of cadmium in whole-kidney and liver tissues of 314 subjects from the general population of the province of Quebec (Canada) were measured postmortem. Frequency distributions of cadmium concentrations were lognormal. As reported in similar studies, age and especially smoking habits were the main variables affecting cadmium concentrations. The geometric mean of whole kidney concentrations (wet weight) was 17.62 microg/g, with a minimum concentration of 2.25 microg/g and a maximum of 100.61 microg/g. Mean concentrations of cadmium in kidneys increased with age, reaching a plateau in the group 50 to 59 yr (29.49 microg/g), and falling slowly thereafter.

Unusually high blood cadmium associated with cigarette smoking among three subgroups of the general population, Quebec, Canada

Blood cadmium levels were measured in 554 persons without any known professional exposure to this metal. They were grouped in three samples; one entirely of 142 Inuit, one of 212 caucasian city dwellers and one of 200 caucasian rural residents. While blood cadmium levels measured in non-smokers are comparable to those reported in published reports, those of current cigarette smokers were 10-20 times higher than non-smokers. These blood cadmium values stand in sharp contrast to what has been published so far and make the average smokers of Canadian-made cigarettes medically unfit for employment in jobs associated with potential cadmium exposure.