Cadmium chloride in the yard and garden
High risk for your yardCadmium chloride presents a high risk to human adults. IARC Group 1 carcinogen (lung cancer; lung and kidney as primary target organs). Cumulative cadmium kidney burden from occupational exposure causes irreversible renal tubular dysfunction — urinary cadmium and beta-2-microglobulin are biomarkers of renal Cd effect. OSHA cadmium standard (29 CFR 1910.1027) mandates air monitoring, medical surveillance, biological monitoring (urine Cd, urine beta-2-MG), and respirator use when engineering controls cannot achieve the PEL. Cadmium chloride is freely soluble and more bioavailable than cadmium oxide fume; skin and inhalation absorption both significant. Long biological half-life of cadmium in the kidney (~10–30 years) means early prevention is essential — renal damage is not reversible after it occurs.
What is cadmium chloride?
The IUPAC name is dichlorocadmium.
Also known as: dichlorocadmium, Cadmium dichloride, Caddy, VI-Cad.
- IUPAC name
- dichlorocadmium
- CAS number
- 10108-64-2
- Molecular formula
- CdCl2
- Molecular weight
- 183.32 g/mol
- SMILES
- Cl[Cd]Cl
- PubChem CID
- 24947
Risk for people, pets,
High riskCadmium chloride presents a high risk to human adults. IARC Group 1 carcinogen (lung cancer; lung and kidney as primary target organs). Cumulative cadmium kidney burden from occupational exposure causes irreversible renal tubular dysfunction — urinary cadmium and beta-2-microglobulin are biomarkers of renal Cd effect. OSHA cadmium standard (29 CFR 1910.1027) mandates air monitoring, medical surveillance, biological monitoring (urine Cd, urine beta-2-MG), and respirator use when engineering controls cannot achieve the PEL. Cadmium chloride is freely soluble and more bioavailable than cadmium oxide fume; skin and inhalation absorption both significant. Long biological half-life of cadmium in the kidney (~10–30 years) means early prevention is essential — renal damage is not reversible after it occurs.
Regulatory consensus
3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Cadmium chloride. The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IARC | 2012 | Group 1 — Cadmium and cadmium compounds are carcinogenic to humans (IARC Monograph Volume 58, 1993; Volume 100C, 2012); cadmium chloride is the most commonly used soluble cadmium salt in research and is representative of ionic Cd²⁺ carcinogenicity; lung cancer causation established in cadmium workers; prostate cancer evidence limited/probable | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 15 positive / 6 negative reports) | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 15 positive / 6 negative reports) |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where your yard encounter cadmium chloride
- Contaminated Water — Mining site runoff, Industrial discharge areas, Drinking water from old infrastructure
- Soil Contamination — Industrial sites, Smelter areas, Battery recycling facilities
- Food Chain — Fish from contaminated waters, Shellfish from polluted areas, Crops grown in contaminated soil
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Cadmium chloride:
-
Exposure reduction (no chemical substitute)
Trade-offs: Exposure reduction does not eliminate the hazard but lowers risk to acceptable levels when alternatives are not available or practical. Requires ongoing monitoring and compliance.Relative cost: 1.2-2×
Frequently asked questions
Is cadmium chloride safe for your yard?
Cadmium chloride presents a high risk to human adults. IARC Group 1 carcinogen (lung cancer; lung and kidney as primary target organs). Cumulative cadmium kidney burden from occupational exposure causes irreversible renal tubular dysfunction — urinary cadmium and beta-2-microglobulin are biomarkers of renal Cd effect. OSHA cadmium standard (29 CFR 1910.1027) mandates air monitoring, medical surveillance, biological monitoring (urine Cd, urine beta-2-MG), and respirator use when engineering controls cannot achieve the PEL. Cadmium chloride is freely soluble and more bioavailable than cadmium oxide fume; skin and inhalation absorption both significant. Long biological half-life of cadmium in the kidney (~10–30 years) means early prevention is essential — renal damage is not reversible after it occurs.
What products contain cadmium chloride?
Cadmium chloride appears in: Mining site runoff (Contaminated water); Industrial discharge areas (Contaminated water); Industrial sites (Soil contamination); Smelter areas (Soil contamination); Fish from contaminated waters (Food chain).
Why do regulators disagree about cadmium chloride?
Cadmium chloride has been classified by 3 agencies including IARC, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.
See Cadmium chloride in the outdoor app
Look up products containing cadmium chloride, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in outdoor View raw API dataSources (1)
- IARC Group 1 Cadmium Compounds Vol 58 1993 Vol 100C 2012; Lung Cancer Kidney Tubular Dysfunction Itai-Itai Osteomalacia Toyama; Metallothionein Cd Renal Accumulation Beta-2-Microglobulin Biomarker; DNA Repair Zinc Finger hMSH2 hMLH1 Inactivation; Metalloestrogen ERα Estrogen Receptor; OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1027 Cadmium Standard Biological Monitoring; EFSA 2009 TWI 2.5 μg/kg bw/week Dietary; EU REACH Restriction Cadmium Plating Pigments PVC Stabilizers; WFD Priority Hazardous Substance EQS 0.08–0.25 μg/L (2012) — regulatory
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →