EMPHYSEMA AND PROTEINURIA IN MEN CASTING COPPER-CADMIUM ALLOYS

Abstract

Diseases of occupational origin occur as acute or chronic illnesses. The former are usually dramatic and the connexion between symptoms and occupa tion is obvious. An insidious illness developing over many years and due to long exposure to small quantities of a poisonous substance may long go unrecognized as being of occupational origin. Since all the recorded cases of chronic cadmium poisoning had occurred among men employed in the alkaline accumulator industry, it was decided to investigate other industries where cadmium is used. This paper describes five cases of chronic cadmium poisoning and reports the results of an investigation of men employed at two factories in England where an alloy of copper and cadmium is manufactured. Because cadmium increases the wear and dura bility of copper without reducing significantly its electrical conductivity the alloy is used to replace pure copper for certain purposes. These include post-office telephone wires, high-tension electrical conductor cables, and overhead contact wire for electrically powered omnibuses and trains.