 The victims of this poisoning were almost exclusively post @-@ <unk> women with low iron and other mineral body stores . Similar general population cadmium exposures in other parts of the world have not resulted in the same health problems because the populations maintained sufficient iron and other mineral levels . Thus , although cadmium is a major factor in the itai @-@ itai disease in Japan , most researchers have concluded that it was one of several factors . Cadmium is one of six substances banned by the European Union 's <unk> on <unk> <unk> ( <unk> ) directive , which <unk> hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment but allows for certain exemptions and <unk> from the scope of the law . The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified cadmium and cadmium compounds as carcinogenic to humans . Although occupational exposure to cadmium is linked to lung and prostate cancer , there is still a substantial controversy about the <unk> of cadmium in low environmental exposure . Recent data from <unk> studies suggest that intake of cadmium through diet associates to higher risk of <unk> , breast and prostate cancer as well as to <unk> in humans . A recent study has demonstrated that <unk> tissue is characterized by higher levels of cadmium in current and former smoking females . 
