Cadmium Poisoning and Safety: What You Need to Know

Cadmium is a natural element that is often found in very small amounts in water, soil, and even air. As a result, you might not think that you need to worry about cadmium poisoning.

But a lot of the cadmium that is found in the U.S. at this time forms when metals like zinc, copper, and lead are smelted. This could potentially put a person in a position where they would be exposed to too much cadmium at once. It could lead to cadmium toxicity.

Today, we’re going to talk to you at length about cadmium and, more specifically, cadmium poisoning. Find out everything you need to know below.

What Is Cadmium?

Before we get into discussing cadmium poisoning, it’s important for you to know what cadmium is. People often wonder, “Is cadmium a metal?” and “What is cadmium used for?”

Cadmium is a heavy metal that you can actually inhale or swallow if you’re exposed to enough of it at one time. And if you happen to breathe in or swallow enough cadmium, it can result in cadmium poisoning. Cadmium poisoning can force you to deal with a wide range of unpleasant symptoms, including kidney failure, damage to the lungs, and sometimes even cancer.

What Can Cause Cadmium Poisoning?

One thing that people don’t always realize is that cadmium poisoning can occur when you’re exposed to even small amounts of cadmium. If you work in certain industries, you might run the risk of breathing in or swallowing cadmium.

You might find yourself surrounded by cadmium if your job calls for you to take part in:

• Drilling
• Sanding
• Incinerating
• Demoing
• Blasting

If you do any of these things on a regular basis, you should know that cadmium poisoning could be something that creates problems for you.

How Can You Prevent Cadmium Poisoning?

There are quite a few things that you can do to stop cadmium poisoning from taking hold of you. First and foremost, you can wear the proper PPE when you know you’re going to be in the same area as cadmium.

You can also sign up for cadmium safety training. It’ll show you how to keep yourself safe when you’re going to be in the presence of cadmium.

Your goal should be to limit the amount of time that you spend exposed to cadmium. It should help you steer clear of having to suffer from cadmium poisoning at any point.

Be Careful When Working Around Cadmium

Because cadmium is a natural element, some people don’t take the necessary precautions when working around it. But you’re going to be asking for trouble if you take this approach to managing your exposure to cadmium.

You can avoid cadmium poisoning by being careful when you know that you’re scheduled to work in an area that could have cadmium in it. It’ll ensure that you don’t have to be concerned about cadmium toxicity.

Get more tips that will help you stay safe while you’re on the job by reading through more of our blog articles.