Toxicity of cadmium and its health risks from leafy vegetable consumption

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal and has spread widely in the environment in recent decades. This review summarizes current knowledge about Cd contamination of leafy vegetables, its toxicity, exposure, health risks, and approaches to reducing its toxicity in humans. Leafy vegetable consumption has been identified as a dominant exposure pathway of Cd in the human body. An overview of Cd pollution in leafy vegetables as well as the main sources of Cd is given. Notable estimated daily intakes and health risks of Cd exposure through vegetable consumption for humans are revealed in occupational exposure areas and even in some reference areas. Vegetable consumption is one of the most significant sources of exposure to Cd, particularly in occupational exposure regions. Therefore, numerous approaches have been developed to minimize the accumulation of Cd in leafy vegetables, among which the breeding of Cd pollution-safe cultivars is one of the most effective tools. Furthermore, dietary supplements from leafy vegetables perform positive roles in alleviating Cd toxicity in humans with regard to the effects of essential mineral elements, vitamins and phytochemicals taken into the human body via leafy vegetable consumption.

The Accumulation and Release of Cd and Pb from Edible Mushrooms and Their Biomass

“…The content of metals in mushrooms was found to be highly dependent on their habitat. Many research teams from around the world have studied the content of heavy metals in different species of edible mushrooms, e.g., Falandysz et al [17] conducted research in Poland, Garcia et al in Spain [3,18], Xin-Hua et al and Zhu in China [5,19], Cocchi et al in Italy [4], and Svoboda et al in a former silver mine in the Czech Republic [20]. A summary of the results of metals examinations (including heavy metals) in uncontaminated areas are presented in the review paper by KALAČ [16].…”

“…More signifi cant from the consumer point of view is the evaluation of their heavy metals content for human health protection [4]. Due to the harmful action of heavy metals, it is important to properly assess their concentration and adequately monitor it to eliminate the dangers to human health [5].…”

Carbohydrate‐Appended TQNPEN [N,N,N′,N′‐Tetrakis(2‐quinolylmethyl)‐3‐aza‐1,5‐pentanediamine] Derivatives for Fluorescence Detection of Intracellular Cd2+

“…Cadmium (Cd) is a serious pollutant and causes significant problems in the human body, inducing pulmonary edema, renal dysfunction, lung diseases, bone lesions, and so on , . Cadmium has been recognized as a potent carcinogen due to the inhibition of DNA damage repair machinery , .…”

“…Hence, Cd spreads widely in the environment through industrial processes. Cd is present in the soil, sediments, air, and water with concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1 mg kg –1 . For non‐smokers, diet and house dust are the major pathways of Cd exposure.…”

“…For non‐smokers, diet and house dust are the major pathways of Cd exposure. Vegetables and cereals from agricultural soil are the major sources of Cd in food , . In this context, detection of Cd in the environment and food, as well as the human body, is necessary to reduce the risk of Cd‐related disorders.…”