Cadmium: Toxicity effect and its mechanism

Cadmium is a heavy metal thatoccurs as a natural constituent in earth’s crust along with Copper, Lead, Nickel and Zinc. Cadmium is vastly used in batteries, coating, plating, alloys etc. in various industries. Humans arecommonly exposed to cadmium by inhalation and ingestion through Cigarettes, Batteries and other factors. Cadmium enters inair and bind to small particles where it can combine with water or soil causing contaminationof fish, plants and animals. Spills at hazardous waste sites and improper waste disposalcan cause cadmium leakages in nearby habitats. Foodstuffs like liver, mushrooms, shellfish, mussel, cocoa powder and dried seaweed are cadmium rich increasing the concentration in human bodies. Cigarettes contains tobacco smoke that transports cadmium into lungs and then to the rest of the body through blood. Bioaccumulation of cadmium in human body and in food chain leads to acute and chronic intoxications. Health effects includes Diarrhea, stomach pains, Bone fracture, Reproductive failure and possibly even infertility, Damage to the central nervous system and immune system, Psychological disorders, etc. Cadmium can also cause the transformation of normal epithelial cells into carcinogenic cells by inhibiting the biosynthesis of protein.Cadmium waste streams from the industries end up in soil which can pollute both soil and surface water. The organic matter in the soil absorbs cadmium increasing the risk of survival of various plants and also increases the uptake of this toxic metal in food. This review is about the study of toxicity mechanism of cadmium in human beings and plants and the biological phenomena involved