Cadmium pigments in consumer products and their health risks

Abstract

32Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that has been increasingly regulated over the past few decades. The 33 main exposure routes for the general public are the consumption of certain foods and the inhalation 34 of cigarette smoke. However, additional exposure may occur through the current and historical use 35 of the metal in consumer products. In this paper, the uses of Cd in consumer goods are reviewed, 36 with the focus on brightly-coloured Cd sulphide and sulphoselenide pigments, and measurements of 37 Cd in historical and contemporary products ascertained by XRF are reported. Cadmium is 38 encountered across a wide range of contemporary plastic products, mainly because of the 39 unregulated recycling of electronic waste and polyvinyl chloride. However, concentrations are 40 generally low (<100 g g -1 ), conforming with current limits and posing minimal risk to consumers. Of 41 greater concern is high concentrations of pigmented Cd (up to 2% by weight) in old products, and in 42 particular children's toys that remain in circulation. Here, tests conducted suggest that Cd migration 43 in some products exceeds the Toy Safety Directive limit of 17 g g -1 by an order of magnitude. The 44 principal current use of Cd pigments is in ceramic products where the metal is encapsulated and 45 overglazed. Leaching tests on new and secondhand items of hollowware indicate compliance with 46 respect to the current Cd limit of 300 g L -1 , but that non-compliance could occur for items of 47 earthenware or damaged articles should a proposed limit of 5 g L -1 be introduced. The greatest 48 consumer risk identified is the use of Cd pigments in the enamels of decorated drinking glasses. 49Thus, while décor is restricted to the exterior, any enamel within the lip area is subject to ready 50 attack from acidic beverages because the pigments are neither encapsulated nor overglazed. 51Decorated glass bottles do not appear to represent a direct health hazard but have the propensity to 52 contaminate recycled glass products. It is recommended that decorated glassware is better 53 regulated and that old, brightly-coloured toys are treated cautiously. 54

Environmental pollutants in blood donors: The multicentre Norwegian donor study

“…Various measures have been taken to limit human exposure to environmental pollutants. These include restriction of lead in gasoline, paint and consumer products by replacing mercury‐containing devices with mercury‐free alternatives (eg, in thermometers), by food advisories, by restricting the use of cadmium in electronics and pigments, by secure waste handling and by other actions to limit emissions to the environment . However, the possible transfer of pollutants via blood transfusions has not been the focus.…”

Revisitando O Tema Pigmentos Cerâmicos Com Ênfase Na Cor Amarela E Aspectos Ambientais / Revisiting the Ceramic Pigments With Emphasis on Yellow Color and Environmental Aspects

“…Ao se pensar particularmente na cor amarela e seus subtons, verifica-se que muitos compostos nos quais ela está presente, principalmente os de mais amplos usos industriais incluem a presença direta ou indireta de elementos como, chumbo (Pb), cádmio (Cd), antimônio (Sb), vanádio (V), praseodímio (Pr) e Titânio (Ti), entre outros atualmente menos comuns como arsênio (As) e mercúrio (Hg), o que implica em certas dificuldades em relação ao seu uso e/ou produção, como alguns exemplos mostrado na Tabela I [8,13,14,25,26,27,28].…”

“…Muitos elementos que são tóxicos não apresentam tão elevada toxicidade quando presentes na composição de pigmentos cerâmicos, que são bastantes estáveis, porém os sais precursores utilizados para sua obtenção podem ser fonte de contaminação do homem e do meio ambiente se não forem corretamente manejados durante todo processo de produção [8,12,13,14].…”

Endocrine pancreas in rats chronically treated with Cadmium

“…Kadmijum je mekan srebrnasto-beli metal, koji se u prirodi nalazi zajedno sa cinkom i živom . Kadmijum i njegova jedinjenja se koriste za zaštitu od korozije, za proizvodnju alkalnih akumulatora, nikl-kadmijumskih baterija,proizvodnju legura bakra i kao pigment ili stabilizator u proizvodnji boja, stakla, keramike i plastike 1,2 . Industrija čelika i spaljivanje otpadaka su najvažniji antropogeni izvori kadmijuma.Prirodni izvor kadmijuma su vulkanske erupcije i šumski požari 3 .…”