Cadmium accumulation in man: Influence of smoking, occupation, alcoholic habit and disease

The concentrations of cadmium in wet ashed autopsy samples in kidney, liver and lung derived from 172 adults were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The values for total organ content of the metal were calculated. The mean values (± SEM) for 34 non-smokers (11 females and 23 males) were 4.16 mg (0.51) for kidneys; 2.28 mg (0.25) for liver; and 0.36 mg (0.053) for lungs. In contrast, comparable values for 138 male smokers were 10.28 mg (0.57) for kidneys; 3.06 mg (0.16) for liver and 0.81 mg (0.053) for lungs. When smoking habits were related to organ cadmium content, a positive correlation between cigarette smoking and cadmium accumulation in each of these organs emerged. Patient characteristics such as occupation, alcoholic habits, and the autopsy diagnoses of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, cancer of the bronchus or lung and arterial hypertension, did not affect the association found between cigarette smoking and cadmium accumulation. A multiple regression analysis of composite values (total estimated cadmium content of kidneys + liver + lungs) for each subject gives strong support to the hypothesis that cigarettes are a major source of cadmium to man and, in addition, can contribute more to the total body burden than the amount derived from other sources.