Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Health risk assessment of dietary cadmium intake in children aged 2–17 years in East China

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Food is the main way for people to be exposed to heavy metal cadmium (Cd), and Cd pollution will affect human health. In this paper, exposure and health risk assessment of dietary Cd intake were conducted in children aged 2, 3, 4, 5, 6–8, 9–11, 12–14 and 15–17 years in East China. The results showed that the total exposure of dietary Cd intake in children exceeded the standard limits. The total exposure of all age groups were 1.11 × 10–3, 1.15 × 10–3, 9.67 × 10–4, 8.75 × 10–4, 9.18 × 10–4, 7.75 × 10–4, 8.24 × 10–4, 7.11 × 10−4 mg kg−1 d−1, respectively, and the highest was the children aged 3 years. The hazard quotients of children aged 2 and 3 years were 1.11 and 1.15, respectively, at an unacceptable health risk level. The hazard quotients of dietary Cd intake in children of other ages were less than 1, at an acceptable health risk level. Staple foods were the most significant contributor to the dietary Cd intake in children, and the contribution ratio of non-carcinogenic risk of dietary Cd intake in all age groups were more than 35%, the proportion of non-carcinogenic risk in children aged 6–8 and 9–11 years were as high as 50%. This study provides scientific basis for the health of children in East China.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Some or all data used during the study are available in a repository or online.

References

  • Afridi, H. I., Kazi, T. G., Kazi, N., Jamali, M. K., Arain, M. B., Jalbani, N., Baig, J. A., & Sarfraz, R. A. (2008). Evaluation of status of toxic metals in biological samples of diabetes mellitus patients. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 80, 280–288.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ai, L. H., Ma, B., Shao, S. W., Zhang, L., & Zhang, L. (2022). Heavy metals in Chinese freshwater fish: Levels, regional distribution, sources and health risk assessment. Science of the Total Environment, 853, 158455.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Akesson, A., & Chaney, R. L. (2019). Cadmium exposure in the environment: dietary exposure, bioavailability and renal effects. Encyclopedia of Environmental Health, 475–484.

  • Bennett, D. H., Kastenberg, W. E., & McKone, T. E. (1999). A multimedia, multiple pathway risk assessment of atrazine: The impact of age differentiated exposure including joint uncertainty and variability. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 63, 185–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, H. P., Yang, X. P., Wang, P., Wang, Z. X., Li, M., & Zhao, F. J. (2018). Dietary cadmium intake from rice and vegetables and potential health risk: A case study in Xiangtan, southern China. Science of the Total Environment, 639, 271–277.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chonokhuu, S., Batbold, C., Chuluunpurev, B., Battsengel, E., Dorjsuren, B., & Byambaa, B. (2019). Contamination and health risk assessment of heavy metals in the soil of major cities in Mongolia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, 2552.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Copat, C., Grasso, A., Fiore, M., Cristaldi, A., Zuccarello, P., Signorelli, S. S., Conti, G. O., & Ferrante, M. (2018). Trace elements in seafood from the Mediterranean Sea: An exposure risk assessment. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 115, 13–19.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Darbre, P. D. (2006). Metalloestrogens: An emerging class of inorganic xenoestrogens with potential to add to the oestrogenic burden of the human breast. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 26, 191–197.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duan, X. L. (2016). Highlight of Chinese children’s exposure factors handbook. China Environmental Science Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dror, D. K., & Allen, L. H. (2014). Dairy product intake in children and adolescents in developed countries: Trends, nutritional contribution, and a review of association with health outcomes. Nutrition Reviews, 72, 68–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • EFSA. (2009). Scientific opinion of the EFSA panel on contaminants in the food chain on cadmium in food. EFSA J. 980 Parma: EFSA.

  • FAO/WHO. (2011). Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants. Seventy-third Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. WHO Technical Report Series 960.

  • Filippini, T., Malagoli, C., Wise, L. A., Malavolti, M., Pellacani, G., & Vinceti, M. (2019). Dietary cadmium intake and risk of cutaneous melanoma: An Italian population-based case-control study. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 56, 100–106.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, L., Lu, X. B., Niu, K., Tan, J., & Chen, J. P. (2019). Bioaccumulation and human health implications of essential and toxic metals in freshwater products of Northeast China. Science of the Total Environment., 673, 768–776.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • GB 2762-2017. National food safety standard maximum levels of contaminants in foods. China Environmental Science Press.

  • González, N., Calderón, J., Rúbies, A., Timoner, I., Castell, V., Domingo, J. L., & Nadal, M. (2019). Dietary intake of arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead by the population of Catalonia, Spain: Analysis of the temporal trend. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 132, 110721.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grandjean, P., & Landrigan, P. J. (2006). Developmental neurotoxicity of industrial chemicals. The Lancet, 368, 2167–2178.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haswell-Elkins, M., Satarug, S., Peter, O., Moore, M., Ng, J., Mcgrath, V., & Walmby, M. (2008). Striking association between urinary cadmium level and albuminuria among Torres Strait Islander people with diabetes. Environmental Research, 106, 379–383.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • HJ 875-2017. Technical guideline for population exposure assessment of environmental pollutant. China Environmental Science Press.

  • Hu, B. F., Jia, X. L., Hu, J., Xu, D. Y., Xia, F., & Li, Y. (2017). Assessment of heavy metal pollution and health risks in the soil-plant-human system in the Yangtze River Delta, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14, 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, B. F., Shao, S., Fu, T. T., Fu, Z. Y., Zhou, Y., Li, Y., Qi, L., Chen, S. C., & Shi, Z. (2020). Composite assessment of human health risk from potentially toxic elements through multiple exposure routes: A case study in farmland in an important industrial city in east China. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 210, 106443.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, X. Y., Yu, H. M., Zhao, X. M., Guo, X., Ye, Y. C., & Xu, Z. (2021). Spatial variation in cadmium and mercury and factors influencing their potential ecological risks in farmland soil in Poyang Lake plain, China. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9, 641497.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jean, J., Sirot, V., Hulin, M., Calvez, E. L., Zinck, J., Noël, L., Vasseur, P., Nesslany, F., Gorecki, S., Guérin, T., & Rivière, G. (2018). Dietary exposure to cadmium and health risk assessment in children—Results of the French infant total diet study. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 115, 358–364.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, C. L., Zhao, Q., Zheng, L. G., Chen, X., Li, C., & Ren, M. X. (2021). Distribution, source and health risk assessment based on the Monte Carlo method of heavy metals in shallow groundwater in an area affected by mining activities, China. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 224, 112679.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, X. M., Wang, J., Pan, B. Z., Li, D. B., Wang, Y. Z., & Liu, X. Y. (2022). Assessment of heavy metal accumulation in freshwater fish of Dongting Lake, China: Effects of feeding habits, habitat preferences and body size. Journal of Environmental Sciences-China, 112, 355–365.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, Z. G., Xu, N., Liu, B. X., Zhou, L. Z., Wang, J., Wang, C., Dai, B. G., & Xiong, W. (2018). Metal concentrations and risk assessment in water, sediment and economic fish species with various habitat preferences and trophic guilds from Lake Caizi, Southeast China. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 157, 1–8.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, M., & Wolt, J. D. (2011). Probabilistic risk assessment of dietary cadmium in the South Korean population. Food Additives and Contaminants-Part a, Chemistry, Analysis, Control, Exposure and Risk Assessment, 28, 62–70.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Landrigan, P. J., Kimmel, C. A., Correa, A., & Eskenazi, B. (2004). Children’s health and the environment: Public health issues and challenges for risk assessment. Environmental Health Perspectives, 112, 257–265.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lehel, J., Bartha, A., Dankó, D., Lányi, K., & Laczay, P. (2018). Heavy metals in seafood purchased from a fishery market in Hungary. Food Additives & Contaminants Part B-Surveillance, 11, 302–308.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, F. X., Zhang, J. Q., Cao, T. H., Li, S. J., Chen, Y. N., Liang, X. H., Zhao, X., & Chen, J. W. (2018). Human health risk assessment of toxic elements in farmland topsoil with source identification in Jilin province, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15, 1040.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, Z. Y., Ma, Z. W., van der Kuijp, T. J., Yuan, Z. W., & Huang, L. (2014). A review of soil heavy metal pollution from mines in China: Pollution and health risk assessment. Science of the Total Environment, 468–469, 843–853.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lü, Q. X., Xiao, Q. T., Guo, Y. R., Wang, Y. J., Cai, L. X., You, W., Zheng, X. Y., & Lin, R. Y. (2022). Pollution monitoring, risk assessment and target remediation of heavy metals in rice from a five-year investigation in Western Fujian region, China. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 424, 127551.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahajan, M., Gupta, P. K., Singh, A., Vaish, B., Singh, P., Kothari, R., & Singh, R. P. (2021). A comprehensive study on aquatic chemistry, health risk and remediation techniques of cadmium in groundwater. Science of the Total Environment, 818, 151784.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mao, C. P., Song, Y. X., Chen, L. X., Ji, J. F., Li, J. Z., Yuan, X. Y., Yang, Z. F., Ayoko, G. A., Frost, R. L., & Theiss, F. (2019). Human health risks of heavy metals in paddy rice based on transfer characteristics of heavy metals from soil to rice. CATENA, 175, 339–348.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olmedo, P., Pla, A., Hernández, A. F., Barbier, F., Ayouni, L., & Gil, F. (2013). Determination of toxic elements (mercury, cadmium, lead, tin and arsenic) in fish and shellfish samples. Risk assessment for the consumers. Environment International, 59, 63–72.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pan, J., Plant, J. A., Voulvoulis, N., Oates, C. J., & Ihlenfeld, C. (2010). Cadmium levels in Europe: Implications for human health. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 32, 1–12.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qing, Y., Yang, J. Q., Zhu, Y. S., Li, Y. Z., Ma, W. R., Zhang, C., Li, X., Wu, M., Wang, H. Y., Kauffman, A. E., Xiao, S., Zheng, W. W., & He, G. S. (2020). Cancer risk and disease burden of dietary cadmium exposure changes in Shanghai residents from 1988 to 2018. Science of the Total Environment, 734, 139411.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satarug, S., Garrett, S. H., Sens, M. A., & Sens, D. A. (2010). Cadmium, environmental exposure, and health outcomes. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118, 182–190.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Senthil, J., & Muthukannan, M. (2021). Predication of construction risk management in modified historical simulation statistical methods. Ecological Informatics, 66, 101439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Song, D. P., Zhuang, D. F., Jiang, D., Fu, J. Y., & Wang, Q. (2015). Integrated Health risk assessment of heavy metals in Suxian County, South China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12, 7100–7117.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tang, J., Huang, Z., & Pan, X. D. (2014). Exposure assessment of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, and Pb) by the intake of local foods from Zhejiang, China. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 36, 765.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA. (1999). Integrated risk information system. Environmental Protection Agency.

  • US EPA. (2000). Risk based concentration table [EB/OL].

  • Wang, B. B., Gao, F., Qin, N., Duan, X. L., Li, Y. J., & Cao, S. Z. (2022). A comprehensive analysis on source-distribution-bioaccumulation-exposure risk of metal(loid)s in various vegetables in peri-urban areas of Shenzhen, China. Environmental Pollution, 293, 118613.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, G., Liu, H. Q., Gong, Y., Wei, Y., Miao, A. J., Yang, L. Y., & Zhong, H. (2017). Risk assessment of metals in urban soils from a typical industrial city, Suzhou, Eastern China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14, 1025.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, X. R., Cui, W. J., Wang, M. M., Liang, Y. H., Zhu, G. Y., Jin, T. Y., & Chen, X. (2021). The association between life-time dietary cadmium intake from rice and chronic kidney disease. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 211, 111933.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y. M., Zhou, H., You, X. Y., & Song, Y. C. (2018). Preliminary risk assessment on residents’ dietary exposure of cadmium in Jiangxi (in Chinese). Modern Preventive Medicine, 45, 3887–3890.

    Google Scholar 

  • Witkovský, V., Wimmer, G., Ďurišová, Z., Ďuriš, S., & Palenčár, R. (2017). Brief overview of methods for measurement uncertainty analysis: GUM uncertainty framework, Monte Carlo method, characteristic function approach. In 2017 11th International conference on measurement. MEASUREMENT 2017-Proceedings (pp. 35–38).

  • Xia, F. Y., Li, Z. Y., & Yang, Y. (2011). Heavy metal content and health risk analysis of vegetable in Nanjing suburb. Environmental Science & Technology, 34, 183–187.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xiang, J., Xu, P. W., Chen, W. Z., Wang, X. F., Chen, Z. J., Xu, D. D., Chen, Y., Xing, M. L., Cheng, P., Wu, L. Z., & Zhu, B. (2022). Pollution characteristics and health risk assessment of heavy metals in agricultural soils over the past five years in Zhejiang, Southeast China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, 14642.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, G. G., Zheng, W. R., Wen, W., Dai, F., Zhang, Z. H., Yuan, Y. W., & Wang, Q. (2017). Health risk assessment of Chinese consumers to Cadmium via dietary intake. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 44, 137–145.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xiang, L., Liu, P. H., Jiang, X. F., & Chen, P. J. (2019). Health risk assessment and spatial distribution characteristics of heavy metal pollution in rice samples from a surrounding hydrometallurgy plant area in No. 721 uranium mining, East China. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 207, 106360.

  • Zafarzadeh, A., Bonyadi, Z., & Feyzi, K. (2020). Health risk assessment related to cadmium in dairy products in Gorgan, Iran. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 1–9.

  • Zhang, C. X. (2021). Investigation on lead and cadmium pollution and dietary exposure assessment of major agricultural products in Heze City (in Chinese). Chinese Journal of Health Laboratory Technology, 31, 1519–1522.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, M., Sun, X., & Xu, J. L. (2020). Heavy metal pollution in the East China Sea: A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 159, 111473.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Y. F., Liu, P., Wang, C. N., & Wu, Y. N. (2017). Human health risk assessment of cadmium via dietary intake by children in Jiangsu Province, China. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 39, 29–41.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong, W. J., Zhang, Y. F., Wu, Z. H., Yang, R. Y., Chen, X. Y., Yang, J., & Zhu, L. Y. (2018). Health risk assessment of heavy metals in freshwater fish in the central and eastern North China. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 157, 343–349.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This research was sponsored by the National Water Pollution Control and Management Technology Major Project of China, Grant Number: 2017ZX07301005-003.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Yuefang Chen, Jinxiu Chen, Jinyan Qu & Tong Li

  2. Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-Oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, Beijing, 100083, China

    Yuefang Chen

  3. Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Shanwei Sun

Authors
  1. Yuefang Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jinxiu Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jinyan Qu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tong Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Shanwei Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

YC took part in methodology, reviewing, editing and funding acquisition. JC were responsible for data curation, writing the original draft, writing, software and investigation. JQ participated in writing, investigation and editing. TL was involved in conceptualization, investigation, reviewing and validation. SS had contributed to conceptualization, methodology, writing, supervision and resources.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yuefang Chen.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 127 KB)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chen, Y., Chen, J., Qu, J. et al. Health risk assessment of dietary cadmium intake in children aged 2–17 years in East China. Environ Geochem Health 45, 5311–5322 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01562-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01562-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation