Watch Out! Cadmium in Drinking Water Can Lead to Severe Risk
Heavy metal elements are often encountered in everyday life. Fun fact: metals in our bodies make up 2.5% of the human body's mass. Some of the majority of metal elements that are essential for the body's needs include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. These metal elements play a crucial role in the body's metabolic processes, support growth processes, help produce energy in the body, and help transport oxygen and electrons. However, at a microscopic level, sometimes some other metal elements cannot be avoided from entering the body through the food we consume, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. In a certain amount, these elements can cause various side effects for the body. For example, there are at least 120 milligrams of lead and 20 milligrams of cadmium in the human body with an average weight of 70 kilograms. If not under careful monitoring, we might increase the level of detrimental metal. On a daily basis, we might not notice that cadmium can be found in the drinking water we consume.
What is Cadmium?
Cadmium is one of the elements belonging to the heavy metal group that has a soft texture with a slightly bluish-white color. Cadmium is widely used as the main or additional material in the industry, namely nickel batteries, coating materials, stabilizers in the plastics industry, and electroplating industry, to manufacture aircraft batteries.
This element has a reasonably high toxicity content, such as mercury (Hg), so its benefits in the human body are still unknown and tend to harm the body. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) set a limit for cadmium consumption should not exceed 1 µg/kg of body weight per day. For factory workers, inhaling dust or smoke containing cadmium directly in industrial activities can cause side effects in the form of nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, to stomach cramps. However, the negative impact of cadmium can also be obtained from some daily activities we are unaware of.
Cadmium Content in Rice
Globally, various studies reveal the presence of cadmium in rice. For example, the research conducted by Suzuki et al. (1980) found that the high cadmium content in Indonesian rice is 0.07-0.09 mg/day/person. As we know, as a part of South East Asia, Indonesian people consume rice as their daily staple food, so they have a high risk of exposure to cadmium in the body. The cadmium content consumed continuously can exceed the threshold and affect public health.
Cadmium Content in Cigarettes
Besides rice, exposure to cadmium can also be obtained through cigarette smoke. Indonesia, the 13th country with the most enormous smoking rate in the world, significantly influences cadmium exposure in the body. Cadmium is one of the ingredients contained in cigarettes. About 10% of the cadmium in cigarettes will be inhaled when a person smokes and absorbed into the body.
On average, smokers have 4-5 times higher cadmium concentrations than non-smokers. No matter what efforts we make to avoid and reduce cigarette usage or maybe substitute rice consumption, cadmium is also found in drinking water, which is the primary source of human survival needs.
Cadmium Content in Drinking Water
Cadmium contaminates underground water sources through contamination from industrial production due to the disposal of waste containing cadmium. Contamination by cadmium can also occur due to corrosion of galvanized pipes or erosion of natural deposits. During the 20th century, the production of cadmium has increased, which has led to an increase in the concentration of cadmium in the environment, especially in water which is very harmful directly or indirectly to human health. Cadmium in drinking water is not only found in tap water but also in bottled water. Various filtering processes to remove solid particles and gases contained in water and disinfection processes aimed at killing pathogenic bacteria in the water are still insufficient to neutralize cadmium levels in the water, so as consumers, we must be very aware of our daily drinking water consumption. In addition, it should be noted that the side effects caused by the high amount of cadmium in the body that exceeds the average threshold will accumulate and significantly affect the performance of the kidneys, causing kidney failure. Exposure to cadmium on health can also cause damage to the physiological system, disrupt the respiratory system, blood circulation system, and heart damage the reproductive system and nervous system, and even cause bone fragility and decreased lung function.
The Cadmium-free Drinking Water Solution
In response, the ceramic water filter from Terra Water Indonesia is here to offer a solution to fulfill drinking water that is safe for our health. Terra filters can filter various water sources such as tap water, river water, and rainwater to lake water. Using clay as the main ingredient in Terra filters allows it to form microscopic pores to trap various contaminants that affect water quality. The clay material can also freshen the filtered water with a cooling sensation that cools the throat. On the other hand, the activated carbon and colloidal silver content in the filter are also very effective in killing bacteria and viruses that are harmful to the body.
Combining these three materials produces a ceramic filter that effectively reduces cadmium exposure in drinking water. It is proven from laboratory results which show that no cadmium content is detected in the results of water filtration by the Terra filter. Our company is committed to supporting access to water and sanitation for all communities, without exception. Therefore, through this water filter product, Terra Water Indonesia encourages people to start paying attention to their daily water consumption and reduce the impact of cadmium contamination in drinking water with Terra water filters. Get your filter now!