Cadmium content in human kidney and hair in the Gdansk region

Concentrations of cadmium were determined in the renal cortex and hair of 6 7 persons who died between 1996 and 1997 in the Gdansk region of Poland. Th e mean concentrations in the renal cortex and the hair were: 39.8 +/- 21.45 mu g/g and 0.35 +/- 0.33 mu g/g, respectively. The mean age of the populat ion studied was 47.6 +/- 15.8 years. The concentration of cadmium in the re nal cortex was age-dependent. In the age groups: 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60 and 61-90 it amounted to: 19.1 +/- 11.0 mu g/g, 43.3 +/- 21.6 mu g/g, 47.9 +/- 20.8 mu g/g, 41.5 +/- 20.4 mu g/g and 33.6 +/- 18.0 mu g/g, respective ly. No correlation between the cadmium contents in the renal cortex and hai r has been established. Hair is not a good indicator of exposure to cadmium . (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.