Cadmium and Lead Are Still Showing Up in Placentas

Cadmium and lead are accumulating in the placentas of pregnant women. Three decades of data from Croatia show these toxic metals haven't gone away.

30 Years of Placenta Data

Researchers reviewed all available studies on cadmium and lead levels in placental tissue from women in Zagreb, Croatia, spanning the 1990s through 2019. The goal was to see if environmental policies had reduced exposure, according to a 2026 review in Life.

Croatia implemented major measures over these decades: smoking bans, tobacco control frameworks, health education campaigns, and the complete phase-out of leaded gasoline in 2006. Smoking rates among women dropped, and airborne lead levels declined.

The Metals Persist

Despite these efforts, cadmium and lead are still being found in placental tissue. The placenta either accumulates these metals or lets them pass through to the developing baby. Either way, the fetus is exposed.

Cadmium comes from cigarette smoke, contaminated food, and industrial pollution. Lead comes from old paint, contaminated soil, some imported goods, and residual environmental contamination.

What You Can Do

Avoid all tobacco exposure during pregnancy. Wash produce well. Test your home for lead paint if built before 1978. Filter drinking water. And build a safer nursery with non-toxic baby products.

Also see glass food storage for safer alternatives.

Source: Orct T, Sekovanić A, Kljaković-Gašpić Z (2026). Life.