Kidney disease may be preventable. People should limit their intake of cadmium, a rare, naturally occurring metal used in the manufacture of pesticides, rubber tires, plastics, and paints. Because of its industrial uses, it is often found now in water and food supplies. Foods with high levels of cadmium include liver and kidney products, mussels, scallops, oysters, and flounder.
Take care around carbon tetrachloride, until recently a household solvent; chloroform, a sweet chemical found in the air and as a by-product of cholorination; ethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze, brake fluid, and cosmetics; oxalic acid, used in heavy-duty household cleaning products; and tetrachloroethylene, the most widely-used dry-cleaning chemical in the United States.
