French population consumes too much cadmium

The Ministry of Solidarity and Health of France reports that the content of cadmium in bodies of the country’s population is higher than that of the population of the rest of the European Union and North America.

Adults in France mostly receive cadmium from fish, shellfish and cigarettes, children — from breakfast cereals. Nearly half of the inhabitants have higher cadmium levels than those recommended by the European Environment Agency.

In 2019, this agency recommended reducing the impact of cadmium on the population, in particular, by reducing its content in mineral and organic fertilizers. Experts claim there are no technical obstacles to this, rather economic — there is a lot of cadmium in phosphorus fertilizers obtained by processing phosphorites.