This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Scott, R. Articles by Quinn, M.J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Scott, R. Articles by Quinn, M.J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Cadmium Concentrations in Human Kidneys from the UK

Departments of Urology and Biochemistry, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow

E. Aughey

Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland

G.S. Fell

Departments of Urology and Biochemistry, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow

M.J. Quinn

Central Directorate of Environmental Protection, Department of the Environment, Romney House, 43 Marsham Street, London SW1, UK

The concentration of cadmium in the cortex and medulla of nearly 1000 kidneys obtained at autopsy was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Particular care was taken over the analytical procedures to ensure the accuracy and precision of the results; intrakidney variability was examined and found to be small. The frequency distributions of cadmium concentrations were approximately lognormal. There was much variability in cadmium concentrations between individuals, with geometric coefficients of variation for both cortex and medulla of around 100%. Cadmium concentrations varied with age and smoking habits, but not sex. Values were successively higher than those in the previous age-group up to 50-59 years (geometric mean 19 µg/g), after which they were successively lower; on average, heavy smokers had cadmium concentrations some 15-20% higher than those in light smokers who in turn had values some 15-20% higher than those in non-smokers. No definite conclusions could be reached on the variation of cadmium concentrations with either cause of death or location, or over time. The present study, the first of its kind in the UK, has provided benchmark data; its results are broadly in line with those from previous but smaller studies in other countries.

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 6, No. 2, 111-120 (1987)
DOI: 10.1177/096032718700600202


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?