Introduction

1. Why do we detect cadmium?

   Vegetable oil can be extracted in various ways. But if the plants’ resources are exposed to polluted soil, the vegetable oil may contain toxins. Once polluted or unstandardized oil is mixed with these polluted plants, those plants will contain pollutants. Moreover, we’ve noticed that the problem of cadmium-polluted planet is a common situation all over the world, especially in China. Recycled tainted oil also contains cadmium. Because of this reason, our group wants to detect cadmium.

2. The harm of cadmium

   Cadmium is an environmental hazard. Human exposures to environmental cadmium are primarily the result of fossil fuel combustion, phosphate fertilizers, natural sources, iron and steel production, cement production and so on. There have been a few instances of general population toxicity as the result of long-term exposure to cadmium in contaminated food and water, and ongoing studies have found that its estrogen mimicry may induce breast cancer. Some members of the agricultural communities who consumed cadmium-contaminated rice developed itai-itai disease and renal abnormalities, including proteinuria and glucosuria.

3. Taiwanese regulation
   • 3-1: The limit of cadmium in vegetable or mushroom
     Vegetable: 0.05~0.2ppm ; mushroom: 2ppm
   • 3-2: The limit of cadmium in rice
     Rice: 0.4 ppm
   • 3-3: The limit of cadmium in oil
     There is no law to standard.
4. National regulations

   Due to the adverse effects on environment and human health, the supply and use of cadmium is restricted in Europe under the REACH Regulation. The EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain has set 2.5 μg/kg body weight as a tolerable weekly intake for humans. In comparison, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has established 7 μg/kg bw as a provisional tolerable weekly intake level.p>

   America:

   1. Restrict the release of cadmium to lack, river, arable land, rubbish tip.
   2. The limit of cadmium in water :10ppm
   3. The limit of cadmium in food coloring :15ppm

Circuit Design

Zintp K896008 is a promoter designed by the NYMU in 2013.It is highly specific to the cadmium. When cadmium attaches to Zintp k896008, the circuit will begins. When the fluorescence protein E1010/E0040 receives the message from zintp k896008, it will result in purple and red fluorescence. Finally, the terminator, B0015 completes the circuit.

▲Fig1:Circuit design of detecting Cadmium ion.

Reference

• [1] Metal contamination of soils and crops affected by the Chenzhou lead/zinc mine spill (Hunan, China).(Liu H, Probst A, Liao B.)
• [2] High levels of heavy metals in rice (Oryza sativa L.) from a typical E-waste recycling area in southeast China and its potential risk to human health (Jianjie Fu, Qunfang Zhou, Jiemin Liu, Wei LiuThanh Wang,Qinghua Zhang,Guibin Jiang)
• [3]Rancidity of Used Cooking Oil and Heavy Metal Analy ses on Selected Street-Vended Foods (Annabelle A. Callano( University of the Immaculate Conception)
• [4] Cadmium. (2015,august 02) In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cadmium