In summary, we exploited the prevalent cadmium exposure
through cigarette use and available data representative of the US
population to examine in detail the relationship between
cadmium exposure, bCd, and uCd levels. Our results indicate that
the interpretation of bCd and uCd in the context of chronic
exposure in the general population is largely consistent with
studies of small occupational cohorts, experiencing very high
levels of exposure; bCd is dominated by recent exposure, whereas
uCd reflects a much longer history of exposure. These results
should be of value for future population studies of this heavy
metal in human health and disease.