Dietary exposure to cadmium and health risk assessment in children - Results of the French infant total diet study.

Besides specific occupational activities or smoking, food is the main route of cadmium exposure for the general population. In France a total diet study previously conducted for adults and children over 3 years old revealed that health concerns due to Cd dietary exposure existed for both adults and children. This study showed that the Cd tolerable weekly intake, based on potential nephrotoxicity effects, is exceeded by a high proportion of children under 3 years old. Nephrotoxicity results from the accumulation of cadmium in the kidney and appears typically after long-term exposure (40-50 years). Despite the exceeding of the tolerable weekly intake observed during the first three years of childhood, due to low body weights compared to adults, the accumulation rate of cadmium is much lower during the whole childhood period (from 0 to 17 years of age) than during adulthood. These data suggest that dietary exposure to cadmium should be reduced for both children and adults to prevent health concerns associated with nephrotoxicity in later life. Moreover, recent literature suggests that Cd can induce other adverse health effects (especially endocrine disruption or neurotoxicity) that could be triggered at even lower doses than those triggering nephrotoxicity.