Cadmium is a rare metal yet toxic to human beings and the environment. With the increased proof of the toxicity of cadmium, national and international agencies have made efforts to regulate its exposure. Cadmium causes various health problems such as cancer, and the Environmental Protection Agency has been in the forefront in controlling its exposure. Today cadmium is primarily utilized in rechargeable batteries usually though with the combination of silver oxides or nickel. The solar rechargeable batteries featuring cadmium and nickel are used on exploration missions in space such as the Magellan probe which explored the planet Venus (Bernard, 2008).
Additionally, cadmium plays a pivotal role in various innovative technologies like solar cells, which take advantage of its distinct physical properties ( Green, 2007) . Cadmium is categorized among the elements commonly referred as transition metals. Some of the transition metals can function as both insulators and electrical conductors. Cadmium possesses such abilities and hence the engineers use it on plastic or glass to craft a semi-conducting layer. The resultant product acts as an ultra-thin and highly energy effective solar cell ( Green, 2007) . Cadmium is also used in other products such as stabilizing certain plastics, paints, making phosphorus compounds, the technology used in the production of images in the TV sets and control rodding in the nuclear reactors because of its power to absorb emitted particles.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Based on the research conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the US Environmental Protection Agency, Cadmium has detrimental damage to multiple organs in the body because it is carcinogenic ( Bernard, 2008) . Further studies by the National Institute of Health and Human Services acknowledge that cadmium is connected to pancreatic cancer in human beings. Moreover, cadmium has adverse impacts on the central nervous system such as memory lapse and decreased attention in humans because it prompts the death of the neuron cell ( Järup, & Åkesson, 2009) . Neurons are responsible for communication and transmission of information from the brain and hence if they are affected and as a result, the brain cannot function properly ( Bernard, 2008) . Cadmium has been identified as a chemical that crosses the placenta and amasses in the fetal issues. Prenatal exposure to cadmium also affects the unborn child because it causes reduced birth size and weight to the babies.
The Environmental Protection Agency has created limits on the amount of cadmium which can be emitted in the water bodies or disposed of by the factories as solid wastes. The provisional Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) is 0.01 mg/L for drinking water containing cadmium. Additionally, the reference dose (Rfd) for cadmium exposure in foods is limited to 1 x 10-3 mg/kg per day ( Barry & Kanematsu, 2016) . The reference dose is a daily exposure estimate that indicates the amount of chemical that the general population should be exposed to. The EPA guidelines also state that the amount of the cadmium which should be applied on land is 85 mg/kg for the materials deposited in the environment.
I believe that Cadmium regulation by the EPA and FDA is not properly executed. The FDA and EPA have long recognized the adverse effects of cadmium on the environment and people’s health yet cadmium has been identified in at least 1,014 of the 1,669 on the current list of National Priorities List (NPL) ( Barry & Kanematsu, 2016) . The labels requirements that are currently utilized by the EPA and FDA are not enough because cadmium poses a great danger to the people health especially due to its carcinogenic effects and hence it should be tightly regulated in the US.
In conclusion, concerning cadmium, the health of an individual is more important compared to the cutting-edge technologies that are a product of the cadmium. Therefore there's need for the national and international agencies to regulate the cadmium exposure to the water bodies, general environment and to human beings and probably the best solution would be to bring to an end its usage in industries.
References
Barry, D. M., & Kanematsu, H. (2016). Regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency in the US. In Corrosion Control and Surface Finishing (pp. 97-106). Springer Japan.
Bernard, A. (2008). Cadmium & its adverse effects on human health. Indian Journal of Medical Research , 128 (4), 557.
Green, M. A. (2007). Thin-film solar cells: a review of materials, technologies, and commercial status. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics , 18 (1), 15-19.
Järup, L., & Åkesson, A. (2009). Current status of cadmium as an environmental health problem. Toxicology and applied pharmacology , 238 (3), 201-208.
