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Cadmium in people living in Canada

Learn about human biomonitoring of cadmium in Canada.

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About cadmium

Cadmium is a metal that is naturally present in:

Cadmium enters the environment through both natural sources and industrial activities, such as metal production and fuel combustion. Once in the environment, cadmium does not break down and can build up over time.

In people who smoke, the major source of cadmium exposure is breathing in tobacco products. People who don't smoke are mainly exposed to cadmium through food. People are exposed to much smaller amounts from air, drinking water, soil and dust.

Cadmium is absorbed in the body after exposure and accumulates in the kidneys, liver, and bone.

Cadmium can be measured in a urine, blood or hair sample. The presence of cadmium in urine mostly reflects cumulative exposure. Its presence in blood reflects more recent exposure.

Potential health effects of cadmium

Long-term exposure to cadmium can affect the kidneys, lungs, and bones. The kidneys are usually the first to show adverse effects.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified cadmium and its compounds as carcinogenic (causing cancer) to humans.

The presence of a substance in your body doesn't mean it will affect your health.

Managing cadmium in the Canadian population

Inorganic cadmium compounds are considered toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, due to concerns for human health and the environment.

We work to manage levels of cadmium in the Canadian population by:

We continue to monitor and assess cadmium.

Data sources for cadmium biomonitoring

This page presents human biomonitoring data from the:

Data are also presented from studies focused on Indigenous and northern populations living in:

These studies are supported by the Northern Contaminants Program and data are included in Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme reports.

You can access more results for cadmium and other metals in the Canadian population through the Canadian biomonitoring dashboard.

Overview of biomonitoring initiatives for blood cadmium in Canada
Initiative Target population Collection period Age group (years) Sample size (n)
CHMS General Canadian population living in the 10 provinces 2007 to 2009 6 to 79 5319
2009 to 2019 3 to 79 4517 to 6070
2023 to 2024 1 to 79 4033
FNBI First Nation peoples living on reserve, south of 60° 2011 20 and above 473
International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey (IPY IHS) Inuit living in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR), Nunavut and Nunatsiavut 2007 to 2008 18 and above 280 (ISR),
1143 (Nunavut),
264 (Nunatsiavut)
Yukon Contaminant Biomonitoring (Yukon) People living in Gwich'in community of Old Crow, Yukon 2019 18 and above 54
Mackenzie Valley Project (NWT) People living in First Nations and Métis communities in the Mackenzie Valley, NWT 2016 to 2018 8 and above 276
Qanuilirpitaa? 2017 Nunavik Inuit Health Survey (Nunavik) Inuit living in the region of Nunavik, Quebec 2017 16 and above 1245
MIREC Pregnant people living in 10 cities across Canada 2008 to 2011 18 and above 1938 (1st trimester),
1673 (3rd trimester)
MIREC-CD Plus Children living in 6 cities across Canada 2013 to 2015 3 to 5 479
MIREC-ENDO Children living in 8 cities across Canada 2018 to 2021 8 to 11 224

We wish to acknowledge all participants, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, who took part in the biomonitoring studies.

Results of cadmium biomonitoring

Smoking cigarettes is a major source of exposure to cadmium. Cadmium biomonitoring results for the Canadian population are presented by smoking status. Age and sex trends are shown only for people who don't currently smoke cigarettes (including people who never smoked and those who formerly smoked cigarettes). Comparisons with other populations in Canada are not presented by smoking status. As a result, differences in cadmium levels may relate to differences in smoking rates between these populations.

Levels in the general Canadian population, by smoking status

For people aged 12 to 79, those who currently smoke cigarettes had higher average cadmium levels than those who don't.

Figure 1. Text version below.
Text description
Collection period Smoking status Geometric mean level (μg/L) 95% confidence interval (μg/L)
2023 to 2024 Never/Former 0.20 0.19–0.22
Current 1.3 1.1–1.6

From 2007 to 2024, average cadmium levels decreased by 16% in people who don't currently smoke cigarettes. Levels also decreased (34%) in people who currently smoke cigarettes (data not shown).

Figure 2. Text version below.
Text description
Collection period Geometric mean level (μg/L) 95% confidence interval (μg/L)
2007 to 2009 0.24 0.22–0.27
2009 to 2011 0.23 0.21–0.26
2012 to 2013 0.25 0.23–0.27
2014 to 2015 0.23 0.21–0.24
2016 to 2017 0.21 0.19–0.22
2018 to 2019 0.22 0.20–0.24
2023 to 2024 0.20 0.19–0.22

Levels in the general Canadian population, by age group

Average cadmium levels increased with age and were higher in adults than in children and adolescents in people who don't currently smoke cigarettes.

Figure 3. Text version below.
Text description
Collection period Age group (years) Geometric mean level (μg/L) 95% confidence interval (μg/L)
2023 to 2024 1 to 2 not available not available
3 to 5 not available not available
6 to 11 0.087 0.079–0.097
12 to 19 0.11 0.095–0.14
20 to 39 0.17 0.15–0.19
40 to 59 0.24 0.22–0.26
60 to 79 0.29 0.27–0.32

Levels for some age groups are not available because too many results were below the detection limit.

Levels in the general Canadian population, by sex at birth

Females had higher average cadmium levels than males in people who don't currently smoke cigarettes.

Figure 4. Text version below.
Text description
Collection period Sex at birth Geometric mean level (μg/L) 95% confidence interval (μg/L)
2023 to 2024 Females 0.22 0.20-0.24
Males 0.15 0.14-0.17

Levels in the First Nations on-reserve population in Canada

The First Nations on-reserve population had a higher average cadmium level than the general population. The difference in cadmium levels may relate to differences in smoking rates, because these average levels include people who smoke and people who don't smoke. Smoking rates were 65% in the First Nations on-reserve population versus 20% in the comparable general population.

Figure 5. Text version below.
Text description
Collection period Study Age group (years) Geometric mean level (μg/L) 95% confidence interval (μg/L)
2009 to 2011 CHMS 20 to 79 0.37 0.34–0.41
2011 FNBI 20 to 79 0.96 0.84–1.1

Levels in Indigenous and northern populations in the Canadian Arctic and Subarctic

Inuit populations in the ISR, Nunavut and Nunatsiavut had higher average cadmium levels than the general population. The difference in cadmium levels may relate to differences in smoking rates, because these average levels include people who smoke and people who don't smoke. Smoking rates were close to 70% in the IPY IHS populations versus 20% in the comparable general population.

Figure 6. Text version below.
Text description
Collection period Study Age group (years) Geometric mean level (μg/L) 95% confidence interval (μg/L)
2007 to 2009 CHMS 18 to 79 0.41 0.38–0.45
2007 to 2008 IPY IHS – ISR 18 and above 1.31 not available
IPY IHS – Nunavut 18 and above 1.9 1.8–2.1
IPY IHS – Nunatsiavut 18 and above 1.1 1.0–1.4

Northern populations living in select communities within the Yukon and in Nunavik had higher average cadmium levels than the general population. For those populations in the NWT, the level was similar to the general population. The difference in cadmium levels may relate to differences in smoking rates, because these average levels include people who smoke and people who don't smoke. Smoking rates were about 50%, 40% and 80% in the populations living within the Yukon, NWT and Nunavik versus 14 to 17% in the comparable general population.

Figure 7. Text version below.
Text description
Collection period Study Age group (years) Geometric mean level (μg/L) 95% confidence interval (μg/L)
2018 to 2019 CHMS 18 to 79 0.29 0.27–0.32
2019 Yukon 18 and above 0.85 0.62–1.2
2016 to 2017 CHMS 8 to 79 0.27 0.25–0.30
2016 to 2018 NWT 8 and above 0.35 0.27–0.44
2016 to 2017 CHMS 16 to 79 0.31 0.29–0.34
2017 Nunavik 16 and above 1.6 1.6–1.7

Levels in pregnant people in Canada

Females of child-bearing age (18 to 49 years) in the general population had a higher average cadmium level than pregnant people from a multi-city Canadian cohort. The difference in cadmium levels may relate to differences in smoking rates, because these average levels include people who smoke and people who don't smoke. Smoking rates were about 5 to 6% in the population of pregnant people versus 20% in the comparable general population.

Figure 8. Text version below.
Text description
Collection period Study Age group (years) Geometric mean level (μg/L) 95% confidence interval (μg/L)
2009 to 2011 CHMS 18 to 49 0.35 0.28–0.44
2008 to 2011 MIREC (first trimester) 18 to 49 0.22 0.21–0.23
MIREC (third trimester) 18 to 49 0.20 0.19–0.20

Levels in children in Canada

Average cadmium levels were similar between preschoolers (aged 3 to 5) in the general population and those in a cohort from several Canadian cities. A level was not available for school-age children (aged 8 to 11) in the general population as too many results were below the detection limit. Because few young children smoke, we do not expect smoking rates to affect cadmium levels in these age groups.

Figure 9. Text version below.
Text description
Collection period Study Age group (years) Geometric mean level (μg/L) 95% confidence interval (μg/L)
2014 to 2015 CHMS 3 to 5 0.082 0.040–0.091
2013 to 2015 MIREC-CD Plus 3 to 5 0.078 0.074–0.083
2018 to 2019 CHMS 8 to 11 not available not available
2018 to 2021 MIREC-ENDO 8 to 11 0.087 0.082–0.093

Related links

Cadmium resources

Biomonitoring resources

How to cite this page

Health Canada. 2026. Cadmium in people living in Canada. Ottawa, ON. Available: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/environmental-contaminants/human-biomonitoring-resources/cadmium-people-living-canada.html

For more information, contact: biomonitoring-biosurveillance@hc-sc.gc.ca

Page details

2026-07-09