Is This Deadly Metal Hiding in Your Jewelry?

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Do you know the metals your jewelry is made of?

Would you be surprised to learn that a dangerous heavy metal might be among them?

The reports covering what’s in our jewelry are shocking.

More than one report has found that lethal cadmium is in the products we wear—and yet the U.S. government refuses to ban it.

First, let’s take a step back and explain what cadmium is in the first place.

Do you know the metals your jewelry is made of?

Would you be surprised to learn that a dangerous heavy metal might be among them?

The reports covering what’s in our jewelry are shocking.

More than one report has found that lethal cadmium is in the products we wear—and yet the U.S. government refuses to ban it.

First, let’s take a step back and explain what cadmium is in the first place.

What is cadmium?

Cadmium is a metal that occurs naturally in the earth. In its natural state, cadmium is silver-white and tinged with blue.

It’s an important component of various electrical devices, and around 600 tons are produced each year in the United States.

But unlike similar metals like zinc and magnesium, cadmium serves zero purposes in the human body. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop our bodies from absorbing it.

Source: Jurii on Wikimedia Commons under CC 1.0

When cadmium enters the body, 30% gets stored in the kidneys, 30% in the liver, and the rest across other tissues .

And since it takes 25 years for our body to get rid of just one-half of accumulated cadmium, it just keeps building up.

There are trace elements in the environment, and it’s increased with industrialization.

That’s why at birth, infants have no measurable levels of cadmium. But by old age, most of us will have between 9 and 50 milligrams accumulated in our bodies .

That’s not enough to cause serious damage. But if cadmium builds up to toxic levels, dangerous things start to happen.

Source:Jurii on Wikimedia Commons underCC 1.0

Cadmium is a metal that occurs naturally in the earth. In its natural state, cadmium is silver-white and tinged with blue.

It’s an important component of various electrical devices, and around 600 tons are produced each year in the United States.

But unlike similar metals like zinc and magnesium, cadmium serves zero purposes in the human body.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop our bodies from absorbing it.

When cadmium enters the body, 30% gets stored in the kidneys, 30% in the liver, and the rest across other tissues .

And since it takes 25 years for our body to get rid of just one-half of accumulated cadmium, it just keeps building up.

There are trace elements in the environment, and it’s increased with industrialization.

That’s why at birth, infants have no measurable levels of cadmium. But by old age, most of us will have between 9 and 50 milligrams accumulated in our bodies .

That’s not enough to cause serious damage. But if cadmium builds up to toxic levels, dangerous things start to happen.

Cadmium’s effects on the body

In the body, cadmium interferes with zinc and magnesium, important metals that keep us healthy.

For short-term exposure, the most obvious effects may feel like a bad case of the flu.

When we breathe in too much cadmium (inhalation causes the fastest body absorption), a victim might experience a fever, chills, and muscle pain.

But that’s just in the short term. Over the long term, cadmium damages nearly every system in the body.

In the body, cadmium interferes with zinc and magnesium, important metals that keep us healthy.

For short-term exposure, the most obvious effects may feel like a bad case of the flu.

When we breathe in too much cadmium (inhalation causes the fastest body absorption), a victim might experience a fever, chills, and muscle pain.

But that’s just in the short term. Over the long term, cadmium damages nearly every system in the body.

Lungs

Cadmium can cause lung damage and maybe one of the causes of tobacco-related lung cancer. As one of the thousands of chemicals present in tobacco and e-cigarette smoke, researchers believe there’s a link to cancer from smoking, but the evidence isn’t clear at this point. One thing we do know is that cadmium is a cancer-causing agent.

Source:Robina Weermeijer onUnsplash

Lungs

Cadmium can cause lung damage and maybe one of the causes of tobacco-related lung cancer.

As one of the thousands of chemicals present in tobacco and e-cigarette smoke, researchers believe there’s a link to cancer from smoking, but the evidence isn’t clear at this point.

One thing we do know is that cadmium is a cancer-causing agent. It’s been linked to cancer in the lungs, kidneys, and bones.

It’s been linked to cancer in the lungs, kidneys, and bones.

Kidneys

The most serious and noteworthy effects, however, are on the kidneys.

It typically takes ten years for cadmium that’s accumulated in the kidneys to start causing damage—making it a silent, lurking killer for a decade after exposure.

The most severe effect is renal tubular dysfunction.

I didn’t know what that meant, either, and looked it up. Basically, cadmium damages the tubes that allow your kidneys to process toxins and eliminate them through urine.

When that happens, your kidneys stop working as they should, and toxins of all kinds accumulate in the body.

Cadmium has also been linked to kidney stones. Kidney stones appear in as many as 44% of people with high cadmium exposure, compared with 5% of the general population.

Kidneys

The most serious and noteworthy effects, however, are on the kidneys.

It typically takes ten years for cadmium that’s accumulated in the kidneys to start causing damage—making it a silent, lurking killer for a decade after exposure.

The most severe effect is renal tubular dysfunction.

I didn’t know what that meant, either, and looked it up. Basically, cadmium damages the tubes that allow your kidneys to process toxins and eliminate them through urine.

When that happens, your kidneys stop working as they should, and toxins of all kinds accumulate in the body.

Cadmium has also been linked to kidney stones. Kidney stones appear in as many as 44% of people with high cadmium exposure, compared with 5% of the general population.

Bones

While cadmium accumulates in the bones, it typically doesn’t cause damage that way.

Instead, problems arise alongside kidney problems.

Without the kidneys processing harmful chemicals in the body, they build up in the blood.

These chemicals then weaken bone structures, especially where arteries come into close contact with the bones.

This results in osteoporotic fractures. Basically, the bone weakens to the point where it cracks on its own.

Bones

While cadmium accumulates in the bones, it typically doesn’t cause damage that way.

Instead, problems arise alongside kidney problems.

Without the kidneys processing harmful chemicals in the body, they build up in the blood.

These chemicals then weaken bone structures, especially where arteries come into close contact with the bones.

This results in osteoporotic fractures. Basically, the bone weakens to the point where it cracks on its own.

Congenital disorders

There are some indications that cadmium causes damage to infants in the womb.

It can cross the placental barrier, meaning the mother’s exposure can reach the baby.

And while the research is inconsistent at this point, there’s some evidence to suggest cadmium leads to birth defects.

Cadmium has also been linked to a few other problems, such as the blood disease anemia and teeth turning yellow.

So with that in mind, how does this deadly metal reach us?

Congenital disorders

There are some indications that cadmium causes damage to infants in the womb.

It can cross the placental barrier, meaning the mother’s exposure can reach the baby.

And while the research is inconsistent at this point, there’s some evidence to suggest cadmium leads to birth defects.

Cadmium has also been linked to a few other problems, such as the blood disease anemia and teeth turning yellow.

So with that in mind, how does this deadly metal reach us?

How cadmium gets inside our bodies

The most common way we’re exposed to cadmium is through food.

It’s absorbed through the soil by vegetables like leafy greens, starchy roots, and cereals like rice and wheat. Cadmium also accumulates in seafood like mollusks and crustaceans.

If you smoke, you’re also receiving heavy doses of cadmium. Smokers can have up to four times as much cadmium in the blood as non-smokers.

Source: Jeff Siepmanon Unsplash

You can also have high exposure if you work in industries that involve soldering, welding, galvanizing steel, or electroplating.

Plus, just about every modern home has plenty of cadmium lying around in consumer electronics, like television screens and batteries.

This is why it’s important not to throw away electronics in the trash, as a landfill is a perfect way for cadmium to leak into the soil.

Source: Jeff Siepmanon Unsplash

The final and perhaps most common problem with jewelry in the workplace is sanitation.

Jewelry tends to collect dirt, dead skin cells, and the germs that come with them. Worse, most of us don’t do a good job cleaning our jewelry.

(The cliché of forgetting your ring at the sink only happens because we don’t wash it, putting a dirty ring back on clean hands!)

For most of us, this isn’t a major risk, as we have immune systems that can easily defend against this type of regular household germs.

But if you work in medicine, elderly care, child care, or a host of other industries, this isn’t the case. You’re constantly in contact with people with compromised immune systems.

Another problem is the reverse effect—jewelry can track germs from the workplace to the home.

If you work in a kitchen, for example, harmful bacteria like E. coli or salmonella can easily hitch a ride on your hands.

And if you have on a ring or bracelet or touch jewelry before washing off all the germs, they can easily find their way back home.

What to do about workplace hazards

The single best piece of advice for wearing jewelry in the workplace is to take it off before you start work. Even simple incidents can result in serious injuries.

You can store jewelry in a locker, at your desk, in your pocket, or just leave it at home.

That said, there are other steps you can take if you’d like to wear a signature piece—a wedding ring, for example—on the worksite.

The first option is to buy an alternative piece you can wear to work. One option is an affordable replacement you can take on and off worry-free as your work situation permits.

Another solution is buying a silicone ring. These are made from a firm-yet-flexible compound that will break if it snags.

To prevent electric shocks, you can put gloves over jewelry or cover them with an insulating material like tape.

Finally, clean your jewelry regularly. The best cleaning procedure depends on the materials in the piece, but dish detergent is a gentle soap that shouldn’t cause damage.

When you store jewelry, quickly dry it and keep it in a moisture-free place to prevent bacteria growth. (You can keep a few silica packs in your jewelry box.)

Either way, stay safe.