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EC number: 231-152-8 | CAS number: 7440-43-9
- Life Cycle description
- Uses advised against
- Endpoint summary
- Appearance / physical state / colour
- Melting point / freezing point
- Boiling point
- Density
- Particle size distribution (Granulometry)
- Vapour pressure
- Partition coefficient
- Water solubility
- Solubility in organic solvents / fat solubility
- Surface tension
- Flash point
- Auto flammability
- Flammability
- Explosiveness
- Oxidising properties
- Oxidation reduction potential
- Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products
- Storage stability and reactivity towards container material
- Stability: thermal, sunlight, metals
- pH
- Dissociation constant
- Viscosity
- Additional physico-chemical information
- Additional physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials
- Nanomaterial agglomeration / aggregation
- Nanomaterial crystalline phase
- Nanomaterial crystallite and grain size
- Nanomaterial aspect ratio / shape
- Nanomaterial specific surface area
- Nanomaterial Zeta potential
- Nanomaterial surface chemistry
- Nanomaterial dustiness
- Nanomaterial porosity
- Nanomaterial pour density
- Nanomaterial photocatalytic activity
- Nanomaterial radical formation potential
- Nanomaterial catalytic activity
- Endpoint summary
- Stability
- Biodegradation
- Bioaccumulation
- Transport and distribution
- Environmental data
- Additional information on environmental fate and behaviour
- Ecotoxicological Summary
- Aquatic toxicity
- Endpoint summary
- Short-term toxicity to fish
- Long-term toxicity to fish
- Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria
- Toxicity to aquatic plants other than algae
- Toxicity to microorganisms
- Endocrine disrupter testing in aquatic vertebrates – in vivo
- Toxicity to other aquatic organisms
- Sediment toxicity
- Terrestrial toxicity
- Biological effects monitoring
- Biotransformation and kinetics
- Additional ecotoxological information
- Toxicological Summary
- Toxicokinetics, metabolism and distribution
- Acute Toxicity
- Irritation / corrosion
- Sensitisation
- Repeated dose toxicity
- Genetic toxicity
- Carcinogenicity
- Toxicity to reproduction
- Specific investigations
- Exposure related observations in humans
- Toxic effects on livestock and pets
- Additional toxicological data
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Carcinogenicity
Administrative data
Description of key information
Data from experimental studies clearly indicates that cadmium is an animal carcinogen. Only one study reported an increase in cancer after oral exposure to soluble cadmium compounds. However, strong evidence exists that inhalation of cadmium oxide dust and fumes or cadmium chloride causes lung cancer in rat. Mice exposed to equivalent levels of cadmium oxide had only marginally significant elevations in lung cancer and no evidence for lung carcinogenicity was found in hamster, so that it has been suggested that interspecies and also inter-strain differences may play a role in the sensitivity to cadmium-induced carcinogenesis. Intrathoracic, intratracheal and subcutaneous exposure to cadmium compounds have also been shown to produce carcinogenic responses in rat.
Overall, there is currently no conclusive evidence from human studies that cadmium acts as a carcinogen following oral exposure. In worker populations exposed via inhalation, a statistically significant increase in mortality from lung cancer was initially reported but this has not been supported in later studies. More recent analyses suggest that measures protecting against renal/respiratory effects should also be protective of lung cancer.
Conclusive data is not available for all forms of cadmium but the weight of evidence collected from mutagenicity tests, long-term animal studies and epidemiological studies leads to conclude that cadmium oxide should be considered at least as a suspected human carcinogen (lung cancer). Cadmium metal is a carcinogen when injected in experimental animals. No studies exist for the metal in humans or animals, which does not allow to sufficiently document its carcinogenic potential.
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Carcinogenicity: via oral route
Endpoint conclusion
- Dose descriptor:
- LOAEL
- 3.5 mg/kg bw/day
Carcinogenicity: via inhalation route
Endpoint conclusion
- Dose descriptor:
- LOAEC
- 0.03 mg/m³
Justification for classification or non-classification
Following long discussions, cadmium oxide was classified by the CMR Working Group as Carc. Cat. 2; R45 (may cause cancer), i.e. carcinogenic potential irrespective of the exposure route [1] and appears as such in Annex I of Directive 67/548/EC (the corresponding GHS-CLP classification would be Carcinogenic category 1B; H350). Cadmium sulphate, cadmium chloride and cadmium metal have been granted the same classification, based on weight of evidence and read-across. By analogy, a comparable classification could be considered for the other highly and slightly soluble cadmium compounds (e.g. cadmium nitrate, hydroxide and carbonate).
Apart from cadmium sulphide, none of the insoluble cadmium compounds (e.g. cadmium sulfoselenide, cadmium zinc sulphide or cadmium telluride), not expected to penetrate easily into the organisms, are classified for carcinogenicity. Cadmium sulphide is an exception. As there is no strong evidence to specifically support its Carc. Cat. 2; R45 classification, a revision of the classification may be appropriate based on solubility properties.
[1] Although there is evidence that cadmium may cause lung cancer after inhalation exposure, there is no indication for a carcinogenic potential in the general population after oral exposure. A classification as Carc. Cat. 2: R49, i.e. may cause cancer by inhalation, could have been envisaged.
Additional information
Data from experimental studies clearly indicates that cadmium is an animal carcinogen. Only one study reported an increase in cancer after oral exposure to soluble cadmium compounds. However, strong evidence exists that inhalation of cadmium oxide dust and fumes or cadmium chloride causes lung cancer in rat. Mice exposed to equivalent levels of cadmium oxide had only marginally significant elevations in lung cancer and no evidence for lung carcinogenicity was found in hamster, so that it has been suggested that interspecies and also inter-strain differences may play a role in the sensitivity to cadmium-induced carcinogenesis. Intrathoracic, intratracheal and subcutaneous exposure to cadmium compounds have also been shown to produce carcinogenic responses in rat.
Overall, there is currently no conclusive evidence from human studies that cadmium acts as a carcinogen following oral exposure. In worker populations exposed via inhalation, a statistically significant increase in mortality from lung cancer was initially reported but this has not been supported in later studies. More recent analyses suggest that measures protecting against renal/respiratory effects should also be protective of lung cancer.
Conclusive data is not available for all forms of cadmium but the weight of evidence collected from mutagenicity tests, long-term animal studies and epidemiological studies leads to conclude that cadmium oxide should be considered at least as a suspected human carcinogen (lung cancer). Cadmium metal is a carcinogen when injected in experimental animals. No studies exist for the metal in humans or animals, which does not allow to sufficiently document its carcinogenic potential.
Following long discussions, cadmium oxide was classified by the CMR Working Group as Carc. Cat. 2; R45 (may cause cancer), i.e. carcinogenic potential irrespective of the exposure route [1] and appears as such in Annex I of Directive 67/548/EC (the corresponding GHS-CLP classification would be Carcinogenic category 1B; H350). Cadmium sulphate, cadmium chloride and cadmium metal have been granted the same classification, based on weight of evidence and read-across. By analogy, a comparable classification could be considered for the other highly and slightly soluble cadmium compounds (e.g. cadmium nitrate, hydroxide and carbonate).
Apart from cadmium sulphide, none of the insoluble cadmium compounds (e.g. cadmium sulfoselenide, cadmium zinc sulphide or cadmium telluride), not expected to penetrate easily into the organisms, are classified for carcinogenicity. Cadmium sulphide is an exception. As there is no stong evidence to specifically support its Carc. Cat. 2; R45 classification, a revision of the classification may be appropriate based on solubility properties.
[1] Although there is evidence that cadmium may cause lung cancer after inhalation exposure, there is no indication for a carcinogenic potential in the general population after oral exposure. A classification as Carc. Cat. 2: R49, i.e. may cause cancer by inhalation, could have been envisaged.
Carcinogenicity: via oral route (target organ): urogenital:
prostate
Carcinogenicity: via inhalation route (target organ): respiratory:
lung
Information on Registered Substances comes from registration dossiers which have been assigned a registration number. The assignment of a registration number does however not guarantee that the information in the dossier is correct or that the dossier is compliant with Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (the REACH Regulation). This information has not been reviewed or verified by the Agency or any other authority. The content is subject to change without prior notice.
Reproduction or further distribution of this information may be subject to copyright protection. Use of the information without obtaining the permission from the owner(s) of the respective information might violate the rights of the owner.
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