Study Finds That Children Aged 2–5 are Most Highly Exposed U.S. Population to Cadmium in Foods
In support of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Closer to Zero initiative to reduce the consumption of toxic heavy metals through food, researchers from Michigan State University have conducted a risk assessment that estimates the U.S. population’s dietary exposure to cadmium. The study found children aged 6–24 months and 24–60 months to be the populations most highly exposed to cadmium, with concerning levels of exposure when compared to guidelines set by regulatory agencies.
Chronic exposure to cadmium has been associated with damage to the kidneys, nervous system, renal damage, cardiovascular disease, cancer risk, and liver disease. Due to cadmium’s negative effects on human health, The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has set a chronic oral minimal risk level (MRL) for the metal of 0.1 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight per day (μg/kg bw/day). MRLs indicate a dose considered safe for humans to consume regularly without increasing disease risk over a lifetime.