The modification of different element levels in human blood by occupational cadmium exposure

: The influence of occupational cadmium exposure on the electrolyte (Ca, Mg) and trace element (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn) concentrations in blood, erythrocytes and serum was investigated. The study was performed at 62 cadmium exposed persons and 38 men not occupationally exposed. The cadmium blood levels of the workers from eight factories (cadmium electroplating, cadmium stearate processing and hard soldering) ranged from 1.0 to 23.7 micrograms Cd/l blood (median 4.2 micrograms/l), of the normal persons from 0.3 to 4.1 micrograms Cd/l blood (median 1.6 micrograms/l). Around 90% of the cadmium was found in the erythrocytes. The cadmium levels in serum were much lower and increased negligibly with elevated blood cadmium concentrations. An influence of cadmium on the concentrations of calcium, iron, copper and manganese in the blood compartments could not be found. In the compartments plasma and erythrocytes higher magnesium levels were detected in comparison to the normal group; a correlation to the cadmium levels did not exist. The medians for the zinc levels in blood, erythrocytes and serum in the exposed groups were significantly higher than the normal zinc levels and correlated with the blood cadmium levels. For blood samples with cadmium concentrations exceeding 10 micrograms/l the ratio of zinc to cadmium was reduced against zinc in spite of elevated zinc and increasing cadmium levels. A negative significant correlation was calculated for the relationships of cadmium and zinc in blood and erythrocytes. A significant change of the element concentrations in the sense of a transfer from one compartment to another was not detected.