Definition of reference values for Cd-B and Cd-U: methodological aspects and preliminary results

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Toxicology
• Biomonitoring

Background:

• Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal with significant health implications.
• Establishing reliable reference values for blood cadmium (Cd-B) and urinary cadmium (Cd-U) is crucial for toxicological and epidemiological studies.
• Existing methodologies for mercury (Hg-B) by ICOH and IUPAC were considered for cadmium reference value definition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define reference values for blood cadmium (Cd-B) and urinary cadmium (Cd-U) using established methodologies.
• To review existing literature from 1976 onwards for relevant cadmium data.
• To identify suitable studies for establishing tentative reference values for Cd-B.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of papers published from 1976 onwards.
• Focus on studies providing data for blood cadmium (Cd-B) and urinary cadmium (Cd-U).
• Evaluation of four studies for suitability in establishing tentative Cd-B reference values, considering statistical and analytical methods and smoking as a factor.

Main Results:

• A limited number of studies provided sufficient data for cadmium reference value definition.
• Only four studies were deemed suitable for establishing tentative reference values for blood cadmium (Cd-B).
• Geometric means and standard geometric deviations demonstrated less dispersion for Cd-B values compared to arithmetic means and standard deviations.

Conclusions:

• Defining reference values for blood cadmium (Cd-B) requires careful consideration of data availability and methodology.
• Smoking is a significant interfering factor that must be accounted for in case-list selection.
• The use of geometric means is recommended for a more accurate representation of blood cadmium (Cd-B) values.