Article: The Cadium Threat

August 4, 2005

A link to an interesting article, if you haven't seen it yet. I may be " behind "

on things, as this is the first time I've seen this info.

LINK:

ARTICLE CONTENT:

Article published Monday, August 1, 2005

The cadmium threat

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that levels of second-hand

smoke and other potentially lethal substances are on the decline in the bodies

of Americans. While that's encouraging, it's hardly time to jump for joy.

Federal researchers are concerned about the rising levels of cadmium, a toxic

metal.

Clearly, the CDC's report shows that many of the environmental and health

efforts in recent decades have worked. The battles that reduce smoking and

remove lead levels in gasoline and paint have served Americans well. From the

early 1990s to 2002, the percentage of preschool age children with lead in their

blood streams dropped from 4.4 percent to 1.6 percent.

But many children still live in environments where adults smoke and in houses

with lead-based paint. And now there is a new toxic threat.

People are exposed to the heavy metal called cadmium through fish, shellfish,

cigarettes, some paints, and even in photography. Levels of cadmium have

increased since the late 1990s; authorities are concerned and should be. The CDC

study showed that more than 5 percent of the public has cadmium levels that

could be dangerous, causing kidney problems and cancer.

The CDC report, while it contained some good news, was not comprehensive. It

only examined around 43 pesticides. That's only a fraction of what's on the

market; more than 1,200 are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency.

That's enough to rekindle doubts about the completeness of the information we

get and to make citizens wonder if they are being told everything they need to

know.

What does appear clear is that improving environmental health is a never-ending

job. When one dangerous substance in our blood streams drops, it seems other

threats arise.

That makes it incumbent on consumers to be as informed as possible about what we

breathe, eat, and are otherwise exposed to, and to vigilantly do our part to

ensure that our environment is as clean as it can be.

~ MamaB

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