Cadmium Inhalation and Male Reproductive Toxicity

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Abstract
Cadmium does not occur freely in nature and there are no specific ores from which it is mined. The most common natural form is cadmium sulfide that is generally found complexed with zinc, lead, copper and iron. Therefore, it is recovered as a byproduct from the processing of these ores (Kirk-Othmer 1984). The usual oxidation state in most cadmium compounds is +2. The atomic weight of cadmium is 112.4, the melting point is 321°C, and the density 8.642 g/cm3 (Kirk-Othmer 1984). Cadmium is slowly oxidized under ambient conditions, but the reaction is accelerated when heated in air (Kirk-Othmer 1984). Cadmium is widely used in the metal industry as protective coatings for iron, copper, and steel. Cadmium-electroplated parts are used in television and radio sets. Cadmium oxide is used as the negative electrode in cadmium-nickel and cadmium-silver rechargeable batteries and is an important component in low-melting alloys in bearings, solder, nuclear reactor control rods, and in cadmium-copper telephone wires. It is also used in PVC heat stabilizers and to improve high-temperature properties of rubber and plastics as well as in semiconductors and in ceramic glazes. Keywords Cadmium Chloride Cadmium Exposure Cadmium Toxicity Male Reproductive System Cadmium Oxide These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.