Cadmium exposure and renal accumulation in an Australian urban population

An indication of the degree of cadmium exposure and renal accumulation in an Australian population (Brisbane) has been obtained from cadmium determinations of urine from 98 patients and post-mortem kidney specimens from 91 patients. Urinary excretion of cadmium from normal or unexposed adults and lead exposed adults was consistent with normal values from other developed countries. There was no apparent relationship between cadmium and lead excretion levels for individual urine specimens. Renal cadmium concentrations were used to estimate the average total cadmium content for a "standard man" and renal cortex concentrations. The results were similar to reported studies from the United Kingdom and Europe, but lower than those from Japan. Daily intake of cadmium was estimated to be 30 to 50 mug, which compares favourably with the FAO/WHO1 "provisional tolerable weekly intake" of 0-4 to 0-5 mg cadmium per adult per week. It is concluded that Australian populations exposed to potential sources of industrial and environmental cadmium contamination should be investigated.