Cadmium accumulates in the human body and is strongly suspected of being carcinogenic. It reduces the body's ability to absorb the essential trace element zinc, which may lead to hair loss, skin thinning and delays in wound healing, as well as prostate and kidney cancers.

Cadmium can pass through the skin into the circulation after exposure to contaminated soil or water. Sizeable quantities of cadmium are included in the 3m tonnes of toxic waste dumped annually into landfill sites and the sea by the UK alone.