Cadmium Exposure and Health Impact

A Special Issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304) belonging to the section "Exposome Analysis and Risk Assessment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2026) | Viewed by 1190

Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical, Metabolic, and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
Interests: child and adolescent health; chronic disease; environmental epidemiology; heavy metals; neuroepidemiology; trace elements; urban health

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Guest Editor
CREAGEN-Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
Interests: epidemiological methods; environmental and nutritional epidemiology with particular focus on childhood leukemia, neurodegenerative and chronic diseases
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cadmium, which is a persistent environmental contaminant from natural and human sources, poses a significant public health threat due to its bioaccumulation and long biological half-life. Cadmium and cadmium compounds are classified as human carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC); this is based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from human studies. Its toxicity stems from disrupting cellular processes, inducing oxidative stress, and affecting multiple organ systems. Chronic low-level exposure is linked to kidney dysfunction, bone disease, cardiovascular issues, and increased cancer risk. Emerging research also highlights potential neurodevelopmental and endocrine effects. Given its widespread presence, particularly within urban environments where industrial activities, waste disposal, and traffic contribute to elevated levels, and severe health consequences, continued investigation into cadmium exposure is crucial for understanding its mechanisms, identifying vulnerable populations, developing biomarkers, and implementing exposure reduction strategies.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to the Special Issue “Cadmium Exposure and Health Impact”. 

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive and multidisciplinary exploration of cadmium exposure and its health impacts, encompassing the latest research on its sources, mechanisms of toxicity, epidemiological findings, clinical manifestations, and potential mitigation strategies.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Sources and pathways of cadmium exposure, with a particular focus on diet;
  • Mechanisms of cadmium toxicity;
  • Genomic and epigenomic effects of cadmium;
  • Cadmium exposure and bone metabolism, cancer, cardiovascular, kidney, and neurodegenerative diseases;
  • Vulnerable populations and susceptibility to cadmium exposure;
  • Biomarkers of cadmium exposure;
  • Public health implications of cadmium exposure, including healthcare burdens, societal costs of cadmium-related diseases, lost productivity, and environmental justice issues.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Teresa Urbano
Dr. Tommaso Filippini
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • sources and pathways of cadmium exposure, with a particular focus on diet
  • mechanisms of cadmium toxicity
  • genomic and epigenomic effects of cadmium
  • cadmium exposure and bone metabolism, cancer, cardiovascular, kidney, and neurodegenerative diseases
  • vulnerable populations and susceptibility to cadmium exposure
  • biomarkers of cadmium exposure
  • public health implications of cadmium exposure

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

28 pages, 2864 KB  
Article
Integrated Environmental Cadmium Exposure, Plaque Calcium Content, and Lifestyle Factors Improve Prediction of Carotid Plaque Echogenicity: An Exposome-Oriented Approach
by Adam Płoński, Aleksandra Jurczuk, Adam Filip Płoński, Małgorzata Gałażyn-Sidorczuk, Aleksandra Konopka, Karol Struniawski, Marcin Gabriel, Adam Siebieszuk and Maria Jurczuk
Toxics 2026, 14(8), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14080707 - 11 Aug 2026
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Abstract
Cadmium exposure has been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis, yet its relationship with carotid plaque composition and echogenicity remains poorly understood. A better understanding of the environmental and biological factors influencing plaque characteristics may facilitate more accurate stratification of patients at high [...] Read more.
Cadmium exposure has been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis, yet its relationship with carotid plaque composition and echogenicity remains poorly understood. A better understanding of the environmental and biological factors influencing plaque characteristics may facilitate more accurate stratification of patients at high risk of ischemic stroke. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between environmental cadmium exposure, plaque calcium content, lifestyle-related factors, and carotid plaque echogenicity, and to assess their combined value for predicting a highly echogenic carotid plaque phenotype. This cross-sectional study included 80 patients with advanced carotid atherosclerosis undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Cadmium concentrations were simultaneously determined in blood, urine, and surgically excised carotid plaques, whereas calcium concentrations were measured in plaque tissue, serum, and urine using atomic absorption spectrometry. Carotid plaque echogenicity was assessed preoperatively using ultrasound-derived Gray-Scale Median (GSM), and multivariable logistic regression models were developed to predict a highly echogenic, stable plaque phenotype. Current smokers exhibited significantly higher blood and urinary cadmium concentrations than never smokers, while urinary cadmium remained elevated after smoking cessation, reflecting cumulative exposure. Plaque calcium content showed the strongest positive association with GSM, whereas cadmium concentrations in blood, urine, and plaque tissue were not independently associated with continuous GSM. Higher fruit and vegetable intake was also positively associated with plaque echogenicity. Integrating cadmium biomarkers, plaque calcium content, smoking-related variables, and dietary factors substantially improved prediction of GSM ≥ 75, achieving excellent discrimination (AUC = 0.870) with 85.0% classification accuracy. These findings suggest that carotid plaque echogenicity reflects the combined influence of local tissue mineralization, environmental exposures, and lifestyle-related factors. This integrative approach may improve our understanding of carotid plaque biology and support future strategies for risk assessment and clinical stratification of patients with carotid atherosclerosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cadmium Exposure and Health Impact)
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