Cadmium is a heavy metal and can be found accumulated on the surface of soils. It is not essential to complete the life cycle of organisms, it is one of the most toxic elements in the food chain and does not undergo chemical or microbial degradation. This metal is listed as a priority pollutant in most environmental institutions.
Cadmium is a natural constituent of soil. However, their concentration may increase because of activities that people do. For example, cadmium can reach agricultural land through irrigation with contaminated water, air deposition, phosphate fertilizers, and fertilizer application.
Cadmium is readily mobilized and absorbed by plants, which limits agricultural land use due to its high concentration in soil. This occurs because the cadmium content in soil is directly related to the concentration of the metal in plants. There is therefore a risk related to the consumption of plants grown in areas contaminated with cadmium.
Is it harmful to eat food contaminated with cadmium?
Consumption of cadmium-contaminated food is the main route of entry into the body. Various studies have shown that plant species may have different capacities to absorb and accumulate cadmium. For example, rice, lettuce, spinach, celery and cabbage are species that have higher levels of cadmium than others.
The presence of high levels of this metal in the body can affect cellular homeostasis and various body biological processes, leading to serious effects such as liver dysfunction, emphysema, anemia, osteomalacia, neurological deterioration and damage to the testicles, pancreas and adrenal glands. In addition, anatomical or functional defects or malformations in fetuses, cancer and even death.
Importance of cadmium monitoring in agricultural activities
Due to the disturbance of the cadmium cycle due to human activities, it is necessary to assess the cadmium content of soils available for agriculture. Furthermore, as food is the main source of contamination for humans, it is necessary to know and monitor cadmium levels in food in order to reduce or avoid its consumption.
It is also useful to analyze which species can be grown, taking into account, as far as possible, plant and crop species that naturally have the capacity to accumulate and transfer less cadmium.
Various methods are used to determine the total concentration of cadmium in soil and are useful for verifying compliance with the regulations on the control of soil pollution by metals. If the total concentration of metals in the soil exceeds the characteristic values of the area, it can be an indicator of accumulation either by human activities or by natural biochemical processes.
How is cadmium assessed in agricultural activities?
Assessment of cadmium levels in soil and food can be carried out with ion selective electrode, also known as ISE. This is an analytical technique that can be used to determine the activity of ions in an aqueous solution by measuring the electrical potential. Enables cadmium ions to be measured quickly and easily, in the laboratory or in the field.
Selective ion electrodes are modern analytical tools that facilitate rapid and direct evaluation of the ion activity of samples. They are a versatile, affordable and cost-effective measurement system compared to other techniques, for example, they are relatively economical and easy to make. In addition, it has a wide range of measurement of cadmium concentration.
Kalstein cadmium ion counters
At Kalstein, we offer a wide variety of cadmium ion meters from the YR series. You can choose the one that best suits your needs. Kalstein cadmium ion meters offer the possibility to select concentration units, e.g. ppm, mg/L and MOL/L, simplify the measurement process, as they directly read the ion concentration. In addition, they are designed with a backlit LCD display and offer a configuration menu, which allows you to set the number of calibration points, stability criteria, temperature, unit, date and time, among others. For more information on Kalstein cadmium ion measurements, see the link HERE