Cadmium, yet another pollutant in our food

June 7, 2026

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By Sylvie Boistard THE June 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM Subscribers

Present in cigarettes and agricultural fertilizers, and released into the environment by certain industries, this heavy metal is singled out for its toxicity. It is the subject of repeated warnings from health authorities. Here's why.

Cadmium contamination of soils and water is due in particular to agricultural activities, through the spreading of fertilizers (sewage sludge, manure, etc.), especially phosphate fertilizers.

DAMIEN MEYER / AFP

This item is taken from the monthly magazine Sciences et Avenir n°952, dated June 2026.

Cadmium is found in crustaceans and mollusks, chocolate, and leafy green vegetables (spinach, lettuce, etc.), but also in some everyday foods like bread, pasta, and potatoes. The third major study of the total French diet (EAT3), published in February, and the new expert report on French exposure to cadmium, published in March by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), are unequivocal: our food is heavily contaminated with cadmium and is even—by far!—the major source of contamination for the non-smoking French population.

Metal Fertilizer Toxicity Cadmium