Cadmium

Cadmium and its compounds are highly toxic, and are listed for immediate priority action by HELCOM.

Cadmium tends to accumulate up marine food webs – and can also affect people who eat seafood. It may lead to potentially fatal kidney and liver problems, brittle bones, and reproductive disorders.

The amounts of cadmium in the atmosphere, soils, lakes, streams and oceans, have increased alarmingly due to man's activities. Cadmium concentrations in herring and other organisms in the Baltic Proper and in the southern Gulf of Bothnia are evidently still rising, for reasons which are still unknown.

Cadmium is a heavy metal which naturally occurs in certain rocks and soils. It is widely distributed in the environment, and one of the earth's crust components.

Cadmium in use – for example in batteries 

Rechargeable batteries containing nickel-cadmium (NiCd) are the largest single source of cadmium. In Sweden, for example, 90% of all the cadmium in use is in rechargeable batteries.

Nickel-cadmium batteries are most often used in mobile phones and cordless hand tools, particularly electric drills and screwdrivers; but lap-top computers, video cameras, walkie-talkies and other consumer electronics also use nickel-cadmium batteries.

Rechargeable batteries can also be bought individually for portable stereos, torches and other products which formerly ran on non-rechargeable batteries.

Controlling cadmium

The new HELCOM cadmium guidance document presents sources and pathways of the toxic metal, and measures to reduce releases into the environment.

Nickel-cadmium batteries should be replaced by less hazardous batteries containing nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) or lithium-ions.

The quantities of cadmium released into the environment can be reduced through the effective collection and safe handling of spent nickel-cadmium batteries.

Cadmium and its compounds are on the list of substances selected for immediate priority action, attached to HELCOM Recommendation 19/5. The goal is to reduce emissions, discharges and losses until 2020 with the ultimate aim of achieving background concentrations of Cd in the environment.

Eight more HELCOM Recommendations address cadmium in various sectors and products:

11/7 concerning emissions to the atmosphere from the iron and steel industry (under revision)
13/4 concerning atmospheric pollution related to the use of scrap materials in the iron and steel industry (under revision)
14/5 concerning diffuse emissions from used batteries containing heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead) (under revision)
16/8 concerning limitation of emissions into atmosphere and discharges into water from incineration of household waste
17/6 concerning reduction of pollution from discharges into water, emissions into the atmosphere and phosphogypsum out of the production of fertilizers
18/2 concerning offshore activities
23/7 concerning reduction of discharges and emissions from the metal surface treatment
23/11 concerning requirements for discharging of waste water from the chemical industry