Page "Cadmium" Paragraph 1

Cadmium occurs as a minor component in most zinc ores and therefore is a byproduct of zinc production.

It was used for a long time as a pigment and for corrosion resistant plating on steel while cadmium compounds were used to stabilize plastic.

With the exception of its use in nickel – cadmium batteries and cadmium telluride solar panels, the use of cadmium is generally decreasing.

These declines have been due to competing technologies, cadmium ’ s toxicity in certain forms and concentration and resulting regulations.

Although cadmium has no known biological function in higher organisms, a cadmium-dependent carbonic anhydrase has been found in marine diatoms.