Summary
This review synthesises evidence on cadmium transfer from soil to cultivated plants and evaluates the consequent risks to human health via food consumption. Drawing on soil chemistry and plant physiology literature, the paper characterises the mechanisms and factors controlling cadmium bioavailability and uptake, as suggested by research from 2000–2017. The work addresses a persistent food-safety concern relevant to agricultural and public-health policy.
UK applicability
Cadmium soil contamination is a historical concern in parts of the United Kingdom, particularly on former industrial and sewage-amended land. The findings may inform UK soil quality standards and crop-suitability advice for affected areas, though UK background soil Cd concentrations are generally lower than in some continental regions.
Key measures
Cadmium transfer coefficients; soil-to-plant concentration ratios; human dietary intake estimates; health risk characterisation
Outcomes reported
The study examined cadmium (Cd) uptake pathways from soil into edible crop plants and assessed the potential human health risks arising from dietary exposure through contaminated food crops.
Topic tags
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