The intake of cadmium in the Kempen, an area in the south of The Netherlands.

In The Netherlands many areas with soil pollution have been detected. The largest polluted area is a zone of 350 km2 in the Kempen, in the south of The Netherlands. This Kempen zone is polluted with heavy metals, especially cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn), emitted from metal factories in the Netherlands and in Belgium. Because of the high Cd in soil, vegetables grown in that area contain relatively high Cd concentrations. The Cd uptake by inhabitants of these areas--especially individuals consuming vegetables from their own gardens--therefore is considerably increased. This Cd intake is shown to be higher than the provisionally tolerated weekly uptake of Cd set by the WHO. The role of smoking in Cd intake is discussed.