Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal primarily found as a by-product of zinc production. Cd was a proven carcinogen, and exposure to this metal has been linked to various adverse health effects, which were first reported in the mid-19th century and thoroughly investigated by the 20th century. The toxicokinetics and dynamics of Cd reveal its propensity for long biological retention and predominant storage in soft tissues. Until the 1950s, Cd pollution was caused by industrial activities, whereas nowadays, the main source is phosphate fertilizers, which strongly contaminate soil and water and affect human health and ecosystems. Cd enters the human body mainly through ingestion and inhalation, with food and tobacco smoke being the primary sources. It accumulates in various organs, particularly the kidney and liver, and is known to cause severe health problems, including renal dysfunction, bone diseases, cardiovascular problems, and many others. On a cellular level, Cd disrupts numerous biological processes, inducing oxidative stress generation and DNA damage. This comprehensive review explores Cd pollution, accumulation, distribution, and biological impacts on bacteria, fungi, edible mushrooms, plants, animals, and humans on a molecular level. Molecular aspects of carcinogenesis, apoptosis, autophagy, specific gene expression, stress protein synthesis, and ROS formation caused by Cd were discussed as well. This paper also summarizes how Cd is removed from contaminated environments and the human body.

Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous heavy metal that threaten fruit safety and soil quality. The remediated effects of wheat straw and fruit pruning branch, with or without Bacillus niescheri, on the physiology and transcriptome of Diospyros lotus L., and soil bio-chemical properties in Cd condition were assessed in this study. Wheat straw and persimmon branch residue addition decreased the Cd availability in soil and Cd accumulation in tissues and alleviated oxidative damage caused by Cd as exhibited by the reduced O2 center dot- , H2O2 and malondialdehyde contents in roots of D. lotus, especially following B. niescheri inoculation. Different expressed genes of ion uptake and translocation were mostly downregulated, whereas cell wall formation/modifications, amino acid metabolism, and phytohormone biosynthesis in roots were upregulated by organic matter plus B. niescheri. Furthermore, organic matter plus B. niescheri improved soil pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, enzyme activity (urease, dehydrogenase, catalase), nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) and organic carbon contents. Soil Cd availability was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Bacteroides, Cellvibrio, Bacillus, Sphingomonas, Vicinamibacteraceae, and Faecalibacterium. Therefore, the organic waste such as wheat straw and branch residues are eco-friendly methods of remediating Cd-contaminated soil and mitigating toxicity for D. lotus, especially following B. niescheri inoculation.