Cadmium has always been present in nature, but in many countries it is feared that it is increasingly found in food as an industrial contaminant and also because many types of synthetic phosphate fertilizers contain some cadmium.
The explanation is that phosphate for fertilizer production contains different amounts of cadmium from nature. The Nordic countries have aimed to reduce the release of cadmium into the environment as much as possible. The use of cadmium in industry has decreased and maximum levels for cadmium in synthetic fertilizers have been set. There is currently a debate within the European Union on maximum levels for cadmium in fertilizers. Opinions are divided as the countries of Southern Europe make less demands than the Nordic countries.
Cadmium is one of the most toxic metals to humans and animals. The gap between the amount of cadmium that is harmless to humans and that which is harmful to health is not wide. The long-term effects of too much cadmium in the diet can be kidney damage. In recent years, it has been found that damage can occur due to less cadmium than previously thought (Alfvén et al. 1997).
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