Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Cadmium is a natural element that is usually found as a mineral combined with other elements. It is an important metal for many businesses and industrial processes. The metal does not corrode easily, and cadmium has had numerous uses over the years, including in batteries, solar cells, pigments, alloys, metal coatings, and plastics.
While cadmium provides many benefits to industry, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) warns that cadmium and its compounds are highly toxic. Exposure to this metal is known to cause cancer and targets the body's cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, neurological, reproductive, and respiratory systems. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) also reports that cadmium and cadmium compounds are known to be human carcinogens.
According to OSHA:
Worker exposure to cadmium can occur in all industry sectors but mostly in manufacturing and construction. Workers may be exposed during smelting and refining of metals, and manufacturing batteries, plastics, coatings, and solar panels. The expanding Ni-Cd battery recycling industry is a concern for cadmium exposure. Electroplating, metal machining, welding and painting are operations associated with cadmium exposure. Workers involved in landfill operations, the recycling of electronic parts, or the recycling of plastics may be exposed to cadmium. Compost workers and waste collectors are also potentially exposed to dust which may contain cadmium. The incineration of municipal waste is another source of cadmium exposure.
Workers can be exposed to cadmium by breathing in dusts, fumes, or mists containing it. Cadmium or cadmium compounds can also get on the skin, contaminate clothing or food, and be ingested. To help protect workers from exposure, OSHA has set a permissible exposure limit (PEL) for cadmium.
These are just a few of the many things to know about cadmium and potential occupational exposure risks. To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, environmental, health, or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
CTSI ctsiweb.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
Cadmium is a natural element that is usually found as a mineral combined with other elements. It is an important metal for many businesses and industrial processes. The metal does not corrode easily, and cadmium has had numerous uses over the years, including in batteries, solar cells, pigments, alloys, metal coatings, and plastics.
While cadmium provides many benefits to industry, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) warns that cadmium and its compounds are highly toxic. Exposure to this metal is known to cause cancer and targets the body's cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, neurological, reproductive, and respiratory systems. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) also reports that cadmium and cadmium compounds are known to be human carcinogens.
According to OSHA:
Worker exposure to cadmium can occur in all industry sectors but mostly in manufacturing and construction. Workers may be exposed during smelting and refining of metals, and manufacturing batteries, plastics, coatings, and solar panels. The expanding Ni-Cd battery recycling industry is a concern for cadmium exposure. Electroplating, metal machining, welding and painting are operations associated with cadmium exposure. Workers involved in landfill operations, the recycling of electronic parts, or the recycling of plastics may be exposed to cadmium. Compost workers and waste collectors are also potentially exposed to dust which may contain cadmium. The incineration of municipal waste is another source of cadmium exposure.
Workers can be exposed to cadmium by breathing in dusts, fumes, or mists containing it. Cadmium or cadmium compounds can also get on the skin, contaminate clothing or food, and be ingested. To help protect workers from exposure, OSHA has set a permissible exposure limit (PEL) for cadmium.
These are just a few of the many things to know about cadmium and potential occupational exposure risks. To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, environmental, health, or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
CTSI ctsiweb.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
