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Regulatory Context

Updated May 2021

Cadmium: Regulatory Context

Due to their serious adverse effects on human health, cadmium and its compounds are subject to multiple regulations at the state, federal, and international levels. Cadmium and cadmium compounds are regulated as carcinogens, and cadmium is regulated as a male developmental toxicant, under California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxics Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65).14

  • EPCRA: Reportable under TRI36, Subject to Tier II reporting requirements.
  • CAA: Hazardous air pollutant.1
  • RCRA: Cadmium is a hazardous waste under RCRA under several circumstances.1
  • Occupational exposures: The OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) for airborne exposure to Cd for an eight-hour work shift is 5 μg/m.3,37  OSHA includes Cd on its list of known human carcinogens.
  • SDWA: The maximum contaminant limit set for drinking water is 0.005 mg/L.38
  • FDA: Limits the amount of Cd in food colors to 15 parts per million (ppm).1

International

  • The Dangerous Substances Directive (76/769/EEC) prohibits the use of cadmium and its compounds in finished plastic products, in paints, as a stabilizer in PVC products (except where required for safety reasons), and for plating metallic products or components in a variety of sectors. In addition, those cadmium compounds that are listed as carcinogens are restricted for use in “substances and preparations placed on the market for sale to the general public.”39
  • As part of its REACH regulation, the European Union (EU) restricts the placement of finished articles colored with cadmium if their cadmium content (expressed as cadmium metal) exceeds 0.01 % by mass of the plastic material.8 This restriction does not affect products when the use of cadmium pigments relates to a safety issue.
  • Cadmium is one of the six chemicals regulated under the Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS), which applies to electrical and electronic equipment sold in the EU.40 Under RoHS, the maximum allowable concentration of cadmium by weight in a homogeneous material is 0.01%.