FDA Toxicology Study on Dietary Cadmium Exposure Cites Bone Demineralization, Kidney Damage
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has estimated a toxicological reference value (TRV) for cadmium of 0.21–0.36 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight per day (μg/kg bw/day), based on the results of a systematic literature review and model analyses published in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. TRVs are useful in the development of action levels for contaminants in foods like toxic heavy metals, which are the focus of FDA’s Closer to Zero initiative.
TRVs are typically derived from levels where adverse effects are observed or a benchmark dose near the low end of the observable range of the data. For the study, researchers from FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) conducted a systematic review of studies with data on adverse health effects associated with oral cadmium exposure. Decreased bone mineral density and renal tubular degeneration, which can lead to kidney failure, were identified as the most sensitive health endpoints associated with oral cadmium exposure.