Hazards and Toxicity

Cadmium is a very toxic metal, therefore needs to be handled with great caution.  Cadmium can enter the human body through smoking cigarettes, contaminated water due to landfills, certain foods such as shellfish, and mostly through handling the metal itself. This metal when inhaled or digested can cause many health affects, including vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dry throat, and headaches. More serious affects are still being investigated, but is thought to cause high blood pressure, cancer, heart and liver disease.