PROBLEMAS AMBIENTAIS CAUSADOS PELO METAL CÁDMIO

Abstract

Cadmium is a great potential toxic metal,considered bioacumulative (with half life ranging from 10 to30 years in humans), causing the Itai-itai disease and being,recently, in seventh place in the ranking of toxic substanceswith major risk of harm to human beings. The main objectiveof this paper is to present the problems which the expositionto cadmium can cause to human life and to the environment.Therefore, the main forms of contact with human beings arediscussed, such as: the ingestion of contaminated foodand/or water, occupational exposures to toxic steam andinhalation of cigarette smoke; related to the environment,the contamination by effluent is emphasized as the one whichoccurred after the World War II, in Toyama, Japan.

Index Terms - Cadmium, Environmental Contamination,Heavy metal.