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Cadmium - Identification, toxicity, use, water pollution potential, ecological toxicity and regulatory information

Note: See Working with the Information on this Page section below for important notes about this data.

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Chemical ID
 Identifying information, including synonyms, ID numbers, use type, chemical classification, a link to a list of all products containing this chemical and a list of the top crops this pesticide is used on in California.
Poisoning Symptoms
 Signs and symptoms of poisoning, first aid, and links to treatment information for this chemical.
Toxicity
 Link to information on toxicity to humans, including carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and acute toxicity.
Regulatory
 Links to world-wide registration status as well as regulatory information for the U.S. and California.
Water
 Water quality standards and physical properties affecting water contamination potential.
Ecotoxicity
 Toxicity to aquatic organisms.
Related Chems
 List of chemicals in the same family, including breakdown products, salts, esters, isomers, and other derivatives.
 

Chemical Identification and Use for Cadmium
Basic Identification Information About This Chemical
Chemical Name: Cadmium
CAS Number: 7440-43-9
U.S. EPA PC Code:
CA DPR Chem Code:
Molecular Weight: 112.41
Use Type:
Chem Class:
View Related Chemicals
 
Additional Resources About This Chemical Class and Use Type

See the Global Pesticide Resources page for many additional links.
 
Other Names for this Chemical
About Chemical Synonyms
7440-43-9 (CAS number) , 7440439 (CAS number without hyphens) , Cadmium , Cadmium , Cadmium (under Cadmium and Cadmium Compounds) , Cadmium, elemental
 
Products Containing This Chemical
Current and historic U.S. registered products
View U.S. Products All Products Currently Registered Products
 

Signs and Symptoms of Cadmium Poisoning

NOTE! There may be other diseases and chemicals that have similar symptoms.

If you have a poisoning emergency in the United States call 1-800-222-1222.
If the victim has collapsed or is unconscious, call 911.

Cadmium is a Cadmium compound.

Report a Poisoning
Symptoms of Poisoning with Cadmium Compounds
Find Products Containing this Chemical

- Irritation of respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.
- Inhalation can cause respiratory toxicity after a latency period of several hours, including a mild, self-limited illness of fever, cough, malaise, headaches and abdominal pain, similar to metal fume fever.
- At higher doses, chemical pneumonitis may occur, with labored breathing, chest pain, and a sometimes fatal hemorrhagic pulmonary edema.
- Ingested cadmium causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and tenesmus.
Chronic symptoms may include:
- Kidney damage (proteinuria and azotemia) anemia, liver injury (jaundice) and defective bond structure. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for those chronically exposed by inhalation.

Source for Group Symptoms: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, 5th edition, U.S. EPA, Chapter 15.
Treatment for Cadmium Poisoning

See: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, 5th edition, U.S. EPA, Chapter 15, page 151.

 
Symptoms of Cadmium Exposure from the International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC)

Report a Poisoning
View full ICSC Cards: English   Español   Française   Chinese   Dutch   Finnish   German   Hungarian   Japanese   Swahili   Thai   Urdu  
NOTE! PREVENT DISPERSION OF DUST! STRICT HYGIENE!
 General First Aid: IN ALL CASES CONSULT A DOCTOR!

Route of Exposure

Symptoms

First Aid
Inhalation Cough. Headache. Symptoms may be delayed (see Notes). Fresh air rest. Half-upright position. Artificial respiration if indicated. Refer for medical attention.
Skin Remove contaminated clothes. Rinse and then wash skin with water and soap.
Eyes Redness. Pain. First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible) then take to a doctor.
Ingestion Abdominal pain. Diarrhoea. Headache. Nausea. Vomiting. Rest. Refer for medical attention.
Notes for ICSC Information
Reacts violently with fire extinguishing agents such as water foam carbon dioxide and halons. Depending on the degree of exposure periodic medical examination is indicated. The symptoms of lung oedema often do not become manifest until a few hours have passed and they are aggravated by physical effort. Rest and medical observation are therefore essential. Do NOT take working clothes home.
 

Toxicity Information for Cadmium

  Note: Information for many chemicals is incomplete and may not be fully representative of effects on humans. Why?

Summary Toxicity Information

PAN Bad Actor
Chemical 1 		Acute
Toxicity 2 		Carcinogen Cholinesterase
Inhibitor 		Ground
Water Contaminant 		Developmental or
Reproductive Toxin 		Endocrine
Disruptor
No
Suspected
 
Indicates high toxicity in the given toxicological category. Indicates no available weight-of-the-evidence summary assessment. For additional information on toxicity from scientific journals or registration documents, see the "Additional Resources for Toxicity " section of the chemical detail page.
1. PAN Bad Actors are chemicals that are one or more of the following: highly acutely toxic, cholinesterase inhibitor, known/probable carcinogen, known groundwater pollutant or known reproductive or developmental toxicant. NOTE! Because there are no authoritative lists of Endocrine Disrupting (ED) chemicals, EDs are not yet considered PAN Bad Actor chemicals.
2. The acute toxicity reported on this page is of the pure chemical ingredient only and may not reflect the acute toxicity of individual pesticide products. To view acute toxicity of individual products, click on 'View Products' link in the 'Chemical Identification' section above.

Additional Resources about the Toxicity of this Chemical

See the Global Pesticide Resources page for many additional links.

Detailed Toxicity Information
Acute Toxicity 2
 Cadmium
WHO Acute Hazard
TRI Acute Hazard
Material Safety Data Sheets
Acute rating from U.S. EPA product label
U.S. NTP Acute Toxicity Studies
      View Studies
Cholinesterase Inhibitor		 Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Available
No Consensus Value
Highly Toxic

No
2. The acute toxicity reported on this page is of the pure chemical ingredient only and may not reflect the acute toxicity of individual pesticide products. To view acute toxicity of individual products, click on 'View Products' link in the 'Chemical Identification' section above.
 
Cancer Information
 Cadmium
IARC Carcinogens
U.S. NTP Carcinogens
California Prop 65 Known Carcinogens
U.S. EPA Carcinogens
TRI Carcinogen		 Not Listed
Known
Yes
B1, Probable
Not Listed
 
Endocrine Disruption
 Cadmium
Illinois EPA list
Keith list
Colborn list
Benbrook list
Danish Inert list
EU list		 Probable
Yes
Yes
Not Listed
Not listed
Yes
 
Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity
 Cadmium
CA Prop 65 Developmental Toxin
U.S. TRI Developmental Toxin
CA Prop 65 Female Reproductive Toxin
CA Prop 65 Male Reproductive Toxin
U.S. TRI Reproductive Toxin 		Yes
Not Listed
Not Listed
Yes
Not Listed
 
Chemicals of Special Concern
 Cadmium
PAN Bad Actors
PAN Dirty Dozen list		 Yes
Not Listed
 

Water Pollution Potential and Criteria for Cadmium

Water Pollution Potential

PAN Ground Water Contaminant Rating Insufficient Data
 

Water Standards and Criteria
U.S. National Drinking Water Standards and Health Criteria
 µg/L unless noted  
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) 5.00  
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) 5.00  
One Day Exposure Health Advisory Level 40.0  
Ten Day Exposure Health Advisory Level 40.0  
Lifetime Exposure Health Advisory Level 5.00  
Reference Dose 0.50 (µg/kg/day)  
U.S. Drinking Water Equivalent Level 20.0  
Concentration with Lifetime Cancer Risk of 1 in 10,000  
Canada Drinking Water Standards and Criteria
 µg/L unless noted  
Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) 5.00
Interim Maximum Acceptable Concentration (IMAC)
Aesthetic Objectives
U.S. National Water Quality Criteria
 µg/L unless noted  
Fresh Water Quality Criteria Continuous Exposure 0.25 Notes: d,e,k,bb  
Fresh Water Quality Criteria Maximum Peak 2.00 Notes: d,e,k,bb  
Salt Water Quality Criteria Continuous Exposure 8.80 Notes: d,bb
Salt Water Quality Criteria Max 40.0 Notes: d,bb
Human Consumption of Organisms from Water Source
Human Consumption of Water and Organisms from Water Source Notes: z
Taste and Odor Criteria
WHO Water Quality Criteria
Concentration (μg/l unless otherwise noted) 3.0
Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life
 µg/L unless noted  
Fresh Water Guidelines 0.017 Notes: c,l
Salt Water Guidelines 0.12 Notes: i
Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Agricultural Water Uses
 µg/L unless noted  
Irrigation Water Guidelines 5.1 (crop sp
Livestock Water Guidelines 80
 

Regulatory Information for Cadmium

International Regulatory Status
Registration in Selected Countries Registration in Selected Countries:
Cadmium
 
UNEP Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP)
UNEP Prior Informed Consent Chemical (PIC)
WHO Obsolete Pesticide		 Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
 

U.S. and California Regulatory Status
U.S. EPA Registered
U.S. EPA Hazardous Air Pollutant
U.S. EPA Minimum Risk Pesticide (25b list)

CA Registered
CA Groundwater Contaminant
CA Toxic Air Contaminant 		No
Not Listed
No

No
Not Listed
Not Listed
 

Maximum Tolerance and Residue Levels
Codex Alimentarius
   (UN FAO Maximum Residue Limits)
U.S. Maximum Tolerance Levels
European Union Maximum Residue Levels 		Go to web site

Go to web site
Go to web site
 

Ecotoxicity for Cadmium

Note! Information for many chemicals is incomplete and may not be fully representative of effects on the environment. Why? Click on underlined terms for definitions and additional information.

Aquatic Ecotoxicity
All Toxic Effects for Organism Group
Organism Group Effects Noted
Amphibians Accumulation, Biochemistry, Mortality
Annelida Accumulation, Biochemistry, Genetics, Growth, Mortality, Reproduction
AquaticPlants Accumulation, Behavior, Biochemistry, Development, Growth, Physiology, Population, Reproduction
Crustaceans Accumulation, Behavior, Biochemistry, Development, Enzyme(s), Growth, Histology, Mortality, No Effect Coded, Physiology, Reproduction
Echinoderms Accumulation, Behavior, Biochemistry, Development, Enzyme(s), Genetics, Growth, Reproduction
Fish Accumulation, Avoidance, Behavior, Biochemistry, Cell(s), Development, Enzyme(s), Feeding Behavior, Genetics, Growth, Histology, Hormone(s), Immunological, Injury, Intoxication, Morphology, Mortality, Physiology, Reproduction
Insects Accumulation, Behavior, Biochemistry, Development, Feeding Behavior, Growth, Mortality, Physiology, Population, Reproduction
MarineBenthicCommunity Mortality
Molluscs Accumulation, Behavior, Biochemistry, Cell(s), Development, Enzyme(s), Growth, Histology, Morphology, Mortality, Physiology, Reproduction
NematodesandFlatworms Accumulation, Histology, Mortality
Phytoplankton Accumulation, Behavior, Biochemistry, Cell(s), Ecosystem Process, Enzyme(s), Growth, Mortality, Physiology, Population
Zooplankton Accumulation, Behavior, Biochemistry, Development, Enzyme(s), Feeding Behavior, Genetics, Growth, Intoxication, Mortality, No Effect Coded, Physiology, Population, Reproduction
~ Un-Assigned Accumulation, Behavior, Biochemistry, Growth, Mortality, Reproduction
View All Aquatic Ecotoxicity Studies and References
 
Summary of Acute Toxicity for Organism Group
Organism Group Average Acute Toxicity Acute Toxicity Range
Amphibians Very Highly Toxic Very Highly Toxic
Annelida Slightly Toxic Slight to High Toxicity
Crustaceans Moderately Toxic Moderate to Very High Toxicity
Fish Moderately Toxic Slight to Very High Toxicity
Insects Slightly Toxic Slight to Moderate Toxicity
MarineBenthicCommunity Highly Toxic Moderate to High Toxicity
Molluscs Moderately Toxic Slight to Very High Toxicity
NematodesandFlatworms Slightly Toxic Not Acutely Toxic to Moderate Toxicity
Phytoplankton Not Acutely Toxic Not Acutely Toxic to Moderate Toxicity
Zooplankton Highly Toxic Moderate to Very High Toxicity
~ Un-Assigned Slightly Toxic Slight Toxicity
View All Acute Summaries
 

Terrestrial Ecotoxicity

We are seeking funding to incorporate terrestrial ecotoxicity data analogous to the aquatic ecotoxicity data in the space above. Watch this space!

Related Chemicals for Cadmium
CAS Number Relation Reason Chemical Name Chem Detail Registration Symptoms California Use Chem Use Type U.S. EPA Reg PAN Bad Actor
7440-43-9 Parent P Cadmium View View View View No Yes
19651-91-3 Related 3 Anilinocadmium dilactate View View View View No Yes
x7440-43-9 Related 3 Cadmium and cadmium compounds View View View View No Yes
513-78-0 Related 3 Cadmium carbonate View View View View No Yes
10108-64-2 Related 3 Cadmium chloride View View View View No Yes
72869-63-7 Related 3 Cadmium cocoate View View View View No Yes
1306-19-0 Related 3 Cadmium oxide View View View View No Yes
Related 3 Cadmium perborate View View View View No Yes
4476-04-4 Related 3 Cadmium sebacate View View View View No Yes
141-00-4 Related 3 Cadmium succinate View View View View No Yes
10124-36-4 Related 3 Cadmium sulfate View View View View No Yes
Related 3 Cadmium yellow pigments View View View View No Yes
Related 3 Cadmium-calcium-cobalt-zinc-chromate complex View View View View No Yes
Related 3 Cadmium-calcium-copper-chromate complex View View View View No Yes
Related 3 Cadmium-calcium-zinc-copper-sulfate-chromate complex View View View View No Yes
15337-60-7 Related 3 Lauric acid, barium cadmium salt View View View View No Yes
 
Working with the Information on this Page

Click on underlined terms for definitions or go to the Pesticide Tutorial overview page.

Any underlined term with a book icon has additional information.

* Data marked with an asterisk indicates that this chemical is not explicitly listed on the corresponding list. Instead, it belongs to a group of chemicals that IS designated on the list. For example, if an agency assigns a classification of reproductive toxicant to "mercury compounds", that classification is applied to all mercury compounds in the PAN Pesticide database, which are then marked with an asterisk.

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Citation: Kegley, S.E., Hill, B.R., Orme S., Choi A.H., PAN Pesticide Database, Pesticide Action Network, North America (San Francisco, CA, 2010), http:www.pesticideinfo.org.
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