Blood cadmium concentrations in the general population of Umbria, Central Italy

The aims of this study were (a) to assess blood cadmium (B-Cd) concentratio ns and to establish a tentative reference interval; (b) to identify signifi cant determinants of B-Cd, in a population from Umbria, Central Italy, whic h was not occupationally exposed to cadmium (Cd). Four hundred and thirty-f our healthy blood-donors volunteered to answer a questionnaire and provide a blood sample for B-Cd analysis, which was performed by graphite furnace a tomic absorption spectrophotometry. Blood Cd concentrations ranged from non -detectable values, i.e. below 0.1 mu g/l up to 3.4 mu g/l and were not nor mally distributed. The median values and the 95th percentiles were 0.7 and 2.0 mu g/l, respectively. Concentrations of B-Cd were more than double in s mokers than in non-smokers, median values being 1.1 mu g/l and 0.5 mu g/l, respectively. In current smokers, B-Cd values correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked daily (r(s) = 0.40, P = 0.0001) and with the cumulative exposure to cigarette smoke (r(s) = 0.35, P = 0.0001). Concentrations of B- Cd correlated with age in the non-smokers, but not in the smokers and were significantly higher in women than in men only in the non-smokers. Both in smokers and non-smokers, B-Cd concentrations were similar in subjects livin g in urban or in rural areas. In the whole study population the lower and t he upper tentative reference limit were < 0.1 and 2.2 mu g/l, respectively, as computed by a non-parametric rank-based method. The upper limit was app roximately double in smokers than in nan-smokers (3.1 mu g/l and 1.6 mu g/l , respectively). Our results show that B-Cd concentrations in a general pop ulation from Umbria are in the range reported for general populations in No rthern Italy and other European Countries. Smoking was the strongest determ inant of B-Cd concentrations and age had a lesser effect. (C) 1999 Publishe d by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.