Anthropogenic cadmium

Even in forestry districts unexposed to anthropogenic cadmium, the winter grazing of ruminating hoofed game is considerably richer in cadmium than plant raw materials used for human food production (Table 6.15. In particular, the barks and the... 

Claude F. Boutron et al. Decrease in anthropogenic lead, cadmium and zinc in Greenland snows since the late 1960s. Nature. 353 (Sept. 12, 1991) 153-156. 

During the 1970s-1980s, a famous catastrophe of human poisoning by mercury and cadmium struck Japan, and this attracted anthropogenic attention to ecological and ecotoxicological problems related to heavy metals. These were uncovered to be influenced by two characteristic peculiarities of the behavior of heavy metals in the environment ... 

Figure 2. Spatial distribution of cadmium anthropogenic emission in Europe in 2002.

As a rule, simulations consider emissions of heavy metals from anthropogenic and natural sources, transport in the atmosphere and deposition to the underlying surface (Figure 6). It is assumed that lead and cadmium are transported in the atmosphere only as a part of aerosol particles. Besides, chemical transformations of these metals do not change removal properties of their particles-carriers. On the contrary, mercury enters the atmosphere in different physical and chemical forms and undergoes numerous transformations during its pathway in the atmosphere (Ilyn et al., 2002 2004 Ilyin and Travnikov, 2003). 

In 2002 anthropogenic emission of cadmium in Europe amounted to 257 t/yr that is 5% lower than in 2001. Emission caused by natural processes (natural emission and re-emission) add up 55 t/yr. Depositions to Europe in 2002 were 240 t/yr. Spatial distribution of cadmium deposition in Europe is shown in Figure 9. The regions... 

The contribution of the external European anthropogenic sources to cadmium depositions in Europe in 2002 varies from 4 to 75%. In 17 countries it exceeded 50%. The countries most affected by the trans-boundary transport of cadmium are Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Czech Republic. These countries are located close to Poland, which is a significant emitter of cadmium. Similar to lead, the lowest contributions are observed in Spain and Iceland. The contribution of the trans-boundary transport to pollution of the European Union with cadmium is about 15%. 

Each country is not only a receptor but also a source of the trans-boundary transport. As much as 153 t (60% of anthropogenic emission in Europe) of cadmium, emitted in Europe, leaves the territory of the counties and is involved in the long-range transport. The highest absolute value—30 t/yr—of cadmium transported across national borders was obtained for Poland. The significant exporters of cadmium are Spain, the Russian Federation, Romania and Italy. Nearly 40 t of cadmium is transported outside the European Union. Besides, only nine countries control more than 75% of cadmium trans-boundary transport. 

For each sea the contribution of various emission sources to atmospheric depositions was assessed. It is obvious that the countries with high emissions, located close to the seas, make the highest contributions to anthropogenic depositions. For example, the most significant contribution to the North Sea comes from the United Kingdom (28%) and Germany (16%). The main anthropogenic contributor to the Caspian Sea is Russia (46%), followed by Azerbaijan (22%) and Turkey (12%). Similar information is also available for cadmium and mercury. 

Annual emissions of heavy metals from the anthropogenic sources of HELCOM countries significantly decreased during the period of 1990-2001. In particular, annual emissions of cadmium decreased by 45%, whereas lead and mercury emissions reduced by 60%. Following this reduction and also due to the changes of heavy metals emissions in other European countries the level of atmospheric depositions to the Baltic Sea has also significantly decreased (Figure 20). Compared to 1990... 

There are other metals for which compelling cases can be made to produce contamination-free oceanic reference seawater. These include other bioactive metals (e.g., zinc, cobalt, cadmium, and copper), tracers of anthropogenic contamination (e.g., lead, Box 3.1), and non-bioactive metals used as tracers of geochemical and physical processes (e.g., aluminum). 

A variety of industrial materials, including metallic compounds (both organic and inorganic), are produced by multiple anthropogenic activities. Because of the manner of use and disposal, these often reach the environment and cause a plethora of potential health hazards.4 Of the above symptoms, the risk for CNS disturbances in a child s development or in the human adult has gained importance. Information concerning different metals (e.g., arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, many other compounds) and their possible carcinogenicity has been documented as a national priority in the literature (Table 3-1).6-1011... 

Several studies indicate that different methods cause adverse effects to embryonic and fetal tissues and eventually lead to the development of teratogenic effects. Metals are omnipresent in the living environment. A variety of anthropogenic activities (e.g., smelting metallic ore, industrial and metal fabrication, commercial application, burning of fossil fuels) have caused adverse effects to the developing fetus. In fact, notorious elements, such as cadmium, lead, and mercury, have been associated with injury and malformation to the growing embryo and fetus of animals and humans.65... 

The main anthropogenic sources of arsine include its accidental formation, particularly in the chemical and nonfer-rous (like zinc, copper, and cadmium) metallurgical industries, production or use of the gas itself during manufacture of semiconductors as a doping agent (Aposhian, 1997 Winski et al, 1997) and in battery production as an alloy with lead (Wald and Becker, 1986). 

Biological, chemical, and physical effects of airborne metals are a direct function of particle size, concentration, and composition. The major parameter governing the significance of natural and anthropogenic emissions of environmentally important metals is particle size. Metals associated with fine particulates are of concern particles larger than about 3-fjim aerodynamic equivalent diameter are minimally respirable, are ineffective in atmospheric interactions, and have a short air residence time. Seventeen environmentally important metals are identified arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, mercury, magnesium, manganese, nickel, lead, antimony, selenium, tin, vanadium, and zinc. This report reviews the major sources of these metals with emphasis on fine particulate emissions. 

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