Abstract

Heavy metals, similar to other toxic chemicals from natural or industrial sources can pose a serious threat to human life. Cadmium toxicity is one of the global health problems that affect many functional systems and can cause death in some cases. The sources of cadmium exposure were through air, water, soil, and food. Cadmium has a variety of toxic effects including nephrotoxicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, and endocrine and reproductive toxicity. The review focused on the effect of cadmium on the body's antioxidant defense system according to dose and duration of exposure with evidence. Various mechanisms of cadmium-induced organ toxicity by oxidative stress, cell damage, deoxyribonucleic acid methylation, activation of pro-oncogenes, autophagy, affects cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, inhibits cellular respiration, etc., are further explained. Toxicity leads to organ toxicity, e.g., heart, brain, kidney, liver, pancreas, liver, eye, lung, and reproductive organs. Cadmium toxicity requires gastrointestinal lavages, supportive care, and chemical decontamination of traditional chelation therapy with appropriate new nanoparticle-based chelating agents and antidotes.