Cadmium
The highest level of cadmium was found in fast food french fries. This is presumably because potatoes are grown in the ground and absorb more heavy metals in the growth process. In-and-Out had 1,158% higher levels than what the EPA allows in drinking water, and Jack-in-the-Box had cadmium levels 970% higher than what the EPA allows in drinking water. According to a March 2023 paper by Wang et al. “Cadmium (Cd) is a highly carcinogenic metal, which can cause toxic reactions even at low concentrations. Long-term ingestion of high-dose Cd can cause serious health problems (Ankit et al., 2021).
The paper further explains how cadmium may be polluting food. “Application of sewage sludge, farmyard manure, or some commercial fertilizers may also increase Cd levels in the soil (Bigalke et al., 2017, Kubier et al.,)” The paper also points to reasons “such as dumping of domestic or industrial wastewater (Rao & Kashifuddin, 2016), and misuse of phosphate fertilizer.”
How could consistent exposure to heavy metals affect human health?
If you ingest contaminated food or water that contains cadmium, you may experience:
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Exposure to cadmium can damage the kidneys. According to the American Kidney Foundation:
The kidneys are powerful chemical factories that perform the following functions:
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Lead
Lead
While many of the samples did not have levels of lead above the laboratory’s detection limit, 100% did have a trace amount or higher. The highest amount was 912% higher than what the EPA allows in drinking water, was in a Sonic Drive-in cheeseburger. Lead can accumulate in livestock through contaminated animal feeds such as grain, hay, or grass contaminated with lead from fertilizers.
A CNN Health article states “It’s a mantra repeated by doctors all over the world:There is no safe amount of lead.” Lead poisoning side effects in children include developmental delays, learning difficulties, irritability, loss of appetite, weight loss, sluggishness and fatigue, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation and hearing loss.
Additionally, according to the CDC, exposure to lead can seriously harm a child’s health and cause well-documented adverse effects such as:
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This can cause:
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There is also evidence that childhood exposure to lead can cause long-term harm.
Exposure to lead can lead to life long debilitating effects.
According to the Mayo Clinic:
“Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over months or years. Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Children younger than 6 years are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal.”
According to non profit’s As You Sow research;
“Lead and cadmium accumulate in the body over time, increasing the total body burden of these heavy metals over decades. Ingesting even small amounts of these metals will add to existing body burdens and should be avoided.”
Arsenic
Arsenic was also detected in 17% of the fast food samples, with the highest level found in Panda Express’s orange chicken and white rice at 362% higher than EPA levels allowed in drinking water. Arsenic has been detected in chicken feed at such high levels that hazmat licenses may be required to transport the grains. Arsenic is often used as a pesticide, used on rice, and can be found in manure used for fertilizer.
According to a paper by Abdul et al, called Arsenic and Human Health Effects, A Review: “Arsenic has been associated with persuading a variety of complications in body organ systems: integumentary, nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, hematopoietic, immune, endocrine, hepatic, renal, reproductive system and development. Arsenic has been able to induce epigenetic changes (in utero) and genetic mutations (a leading cause of cancer) in the body.“
Signs of arsenic ingestion may present as:
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Proponents of fast food may suggest that the levels of heavy metals detected in the food were low and of no concern. However, compared to the EPA’s allowable levels of heavy metals in drinking water, we might agree that these levels are deeply concerning.
EPA limits for heavy metals in water