A dose-response analysis of cadmium in the general environment with special reference to total cadmium intake limit

An epidemiological study on the dose-response relationship of cadmium was performed on 1850 Cd-exposed and 294 nonexposed inhabitants of the Kakehashi River basin in Ishikawa Prefecture. beta 2-microglobulinuria was used as an index of the effect of cadmium on health and the average cadmium concentration in locally produced rice was employed as an indicator of cadmium exposure. Cadmium exposure was found to affect health in a dose-related manner when the subjects were classified according to the average cadmium concentration in their village rice and their length of residence in the polluted area. Based on the available data, the total cadmium intake that produced an adverse effect on health was calculated as approximately 2000 mg for both men and women.