Effects of Cadmium Pollution on Human Health: A Narrative Review

Cadmium (Cd) is a pervasive environmental and industrial toxin that poses significant health risks. It readily moves through soil–plant systems, leading to global contamination and human exposure through diet, smoking, and pollution. The main purpose of this review is to explore the effect of Cd on physiological processes of different bodies’ organs, including the bones, kidneys, and liver, as well as the immune, cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems. Accumulation of Cd in the body can result in poisoning with severe impacts on bone and kidney health, as well as reduced bone mineral density due to renal damage. Research has linked Cd to lung cancer and pulmonary toxicity, and elevated urinary biomarkers suggest compromised renal function. Cd also affects the cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and immune systems; the liver; and reproductive systems, contributing to various diseases by disrupting blood pressure and calcium regulation, causing oxidative stress and DNA damage, and impairing cell functions. Ongoing research is essential to fully understand Cd-induced toxicological effects and to develop effective interventions to prevent exposure and mitigate health risks.

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