[Cadmium--a pubic health problem?].

Exposure to cadmium has long been associated with the risk of renal damage and skeletal effects. Research has shown early renal damage to occur at much lower exposure levels than formerly believed, though the clinical significance of such damage has not been fully determined. The effect of cadmium on bone metabolism and mineralisation might be a contributory cause of the increasing prevalence of osteoporosis in the elderly.