Cadmium Toxicity in Drinking Water

Mar 23
09:30

2010

Blanca  Somers

Blanca Somers

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The element cadmium is a heavy metal with atomic weight 112.41. On the Periodic Chart of the Elements it is near silver, gold, and mercury. It is a very malleable heavy metal and its qualities make it both useful and harmful.

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The element cadmium is a heavy metal with atomic weight 112.41. It is next to silver and just above Mercury and gold on the Periodic Chart of the Elements in the same group. Its malleability as a heavy metal make it useful and other factors make it also harmful.

The United States alone uses over 10 million pounds of cadmium for industrial purposes. Several metal alloys of cadmium are used to make such things as solder,Cadmium Toxicity in Drinking Water Articles especially aluminum solder. Cadmium is also used in nickel-cadmium batteries, but also in nickel plating, electroplating, and engraving.

Though popular in industry, cadmium can be very toxic, and serious consequences can result if it is swallowed or inhaled. For example, it only takes 10 milligrams to initiate symptoms of poisoning. Cadmium, as well as other heavy metals, is suspected in the disturbing rise of victims of Alzheimer's and other brain disorders.

Cadmium poisoning may be indicated by abdominal pain, headache, increased salivation or the opposite as a dry throat, choking, vomiting, chest pain, anemia, and painful spasms of the anal sphincter. "When cadmium dust or powder is inhaled, the first symptoms are a sweet or metallic taste, followed by throat irritation".

A low dose exposure to cadmium over a long period of time may cause symptoms including loss of a sense of smell, a cough, shortness of breath, weight loss, and tooth staining. Excessive exposure to cadmium may cause damage to the liver and kidneys.

Enough of the bad news. The good news is that it is possible to be rid of the danger of cadmium in our drinking and cooking water. Activated charcoal water filters are able to remove at least 95% of the heavy metals, including cadmium, from drinking water. They do this through adsorption. The toxins naturally cling to the surface of the charcoal granules and are thus removed from the water.

Perhaps you are someone still not convinced cadmium poisoning is anything to bother about. If so, then consider this. First, wouldn't it be better to be sure you are safe? Ground water travels very slowly, only a few feet a day, and it is certainly possible that some place upstream, it was contaminated with heavy metals. Second, charcoal filters remove much more than just heavy metals. The long list includes parasites, chlorine compounds, and hydrocarbons.

Formerly we could count on all drinking water to be safe. However, today with all the chemicals used in farming and manufacturing, it is certainly wise to go beyond the city water report, or the well water test, and filter your ingested water to guarantee it is safe. The consequences of unsafe water are too important to ignore.

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