A study of the priority substances of the Water Framework Directive ...

� Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal, it is not
found in pure state in nature
� Cadmium has been used in pigments and batteries.
Artificial fertilizers contain cadmium as a
pollutant.
� No further screening is considered necessary,
but monitoring of cadmium should continue.
Production and use
Cadmium is associated with zinc and non ferrous
ores, and usually present in cement and
phosphate fertilizer, as well as in fossil fuels.
Cadmium has been widely used, in pigments
and is still in widespread use in electronics metallurgy
and for corrosive protection. In Norway,
main use by 2002 was in batteries. Use in new
produced or imported products has dropped
from more than 40 tonnes annually in the
nineties to 27 tons in 2002. Cadmium pollutants
in zink sacrificial anodes are now the single
largest source, with 100 kilos in 2002.
Production is stopped in Norway. Some compounds
and uses are banned or regulated.
Emissions, discharges,
distribution and hot-spots
Emissions have dropped from 43 tons in 1985,
via 5 tons in 1995 to 1 tonne in 2003.
Discharges to water in the same period have
dropped from about 3,5 tons to about 600
kilos. Main emissions come from products,
industrial sources, and the oil and gas sector,
but 29 percent of emissions in 2002 are "diffuse"
or from "other" sources. Cadmium is a
long range transboundary pollutant and
increased levels are found in soil in South
Norway. According to SFT almost 2/3 of the
annual cadmium pollutions come from sources
outside Norway.
Marine sediment
Cadmium has been found in some harbours, but
generally not in very high concentrations. The
highest concentration was found in
Henningsvær harbour in Lofoten in Nordland
County (class V).
Marine biota
Marine biota is generally moderately to markedly
polluted by cadmium. In Sørfjorden in
FACTS
Cas no.: 7440-43-9
cadmium and its compounds ::::::::::..
6 Cadmium and its compounds
Synonyms/compounds: Cadmiumchloride
Cadmiumacetaat, Cadmiumoxide,
Cadmiumhydroxide, Cadmiumsulfide,
Cadmiumsulfate, Cadmiumsulfite.
Properties: Metal. Not found in pure state in nature.
Toxic effects: Cadmium and its compounds are toxic
(acute and chronic) for mammals. They are listed as
probable human carcinogens. Cadmium compounds
are also very toxic to aquatic life forms, especially in
fresh water (ClassLab, WHO, HSDB).
Log Kow: -
Persistence: Cadmium accumulates in soil, and plant
uptake is a problem. Cadmium and its compounds
do not form stable metal-organic complexes and are
susceptible to changes in soil acidity. In water, cadmium
is adsorbed to particulate matter. Cadmium
accumulates in liver and kidneys in humans, while
uptake of cadmium by daphnia, aquatic insects,
molluscs, and crayfish is appreciable.
Water solubility: Insoluble, some compounds are soluble.
Molecular formula: Cd
Cadmiumchloride: CdC l2
Cadmiumacetate: C4H6CdO4 Cadmiumoxide: CdO
Cadmiumhydroxide: Cd(OH) 2
Cadmiumsulfide: CdS
Cadmiumsulfate: CdSO 4
Cadmiumsulfite: CdSO3 Metabolites: None
Hordaland County, Harstad in Troms County
and Årdalsfjorden in Sogn og Fjordane County
there are restrictions on consumption of shellfish
due to high cadmium concentrations.
Fresh water
Since 1990 ten rivers have been monitored on a
monthly basis and more than one hundred
rivers on a yearly basis and cadmium levels are
generally low. Rivers influenced with runoff
from mines will have higher levels.
A study of the priority substances of the Water Framework Directive
TA-2140/2005
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