Blood and urinary cadmium levels in Inuit living in Kuujjuaq, Canada.

Abstract Blood and urine cadmium concentrations have been determined in a group of 85 Inuit residents of Kuujjuaq, Quebec, Canada, drawn from actively hunting households. Mean blood cadmium values are high at 39.4 nmol/l, varying between 6.6 in non-smokers and 60.3 in smokers. No association of blood cadmium with self-reported offal consumption could be found. Median urine cadmium concentrations are elevated at 2.3 μmol/mol creatinine and rise substantially with age: 0.9 in the 30–39 age group; 3.2 among the 40–59 age group; and 4.1 in the 60 and over.