The possibility of food contamination with cadmium by means of coloured plastics.

By using spectrophotometric atomic absorption, the release of cadmium from some plastic materials (polyethylenes, PVC, polystyrene) used for manufacturing containers, wraps and household objects (which are coloured with pigments derived from cadmium compounds) was studied. Subchronic experiments (45 days) were carried out in white Wistar rats with extracts from cadmium-containing plastic in comparison with the pigment alone. The excreted cadmium in urine and the activity of some serum enzymes were determined. Histopathological changes of the main internal organs were observed. It was found that some pigments of the Papion type have the property of releasing cadmium in amounts exceeding the admitted sanitary levels, amounts which proved to be toxic, producing enzymic and histopathological changes in kidneys and testes.