Biologically active metals in human tissues. II. The effect of age on the concentration of cadmium in aorta, heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas and skeletal muscle.

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Abstract
Specimens of aorta, heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas and skeletal muscle were collected at autopsy from 86 traumatic accident victims. After dry-ashing, the Cd concentration in each tissue was determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The Cd concentration was highest in kidney, the level becoming less in the other tissues in the following order: liver, pancreas, lung, aorta, heart and muscle. The mean (geometric) Cd concentration of kidney samples in the age group of 40-50 yr was 86.9 .mu.g/g of dry wt, corresponding to approximately 26 .mu.g/g of wet wt in kidney cortex. All values for Cd in kidney were well below 200 .mu.g/g of wet wt, a limit considered tentatively as a critical concentration in kidney cortex. When the effect of age on the Cd concentration of tissues was studied, the same general pattern was seen, i.e., the median values were low in the early years of life and increased thereafter. In the heart, kidney, lung and pancreas a maximum was found at the age of maturity, but the median concentration in aorta, liver and muscle reached the maximum in older age. The Cd concentration of muscle showed the best correlation with age. From the data obtained from the correlation matrix of Cd in the tissues investigated, a clear trend was noticed: if the concentration was high in one tissue it was likely to be high also in other tissues. The Cd concentrations show that the exposure of the general public in Finland to Cd corresponds to that found in other nonpolluted countries. [This study is relevant to food toxicity.].

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