Distribution of Cadmium in the 1950s

[Superduner]

I'm hoping that some of the older members here might have some knowledge about this
In the 1950s, my father was a police constable in Norwich, UK. I was under 10 at the time but I can clearly remember being told that he was part of a group that was putting caches of cadmium around Norfolk so that natural distribution patterns could be monitored.
This newspaper article seems to confirm my memory:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...-warfare-trials-during-cold-war-10376411.html

So can any member here throw any more light on this? My dad died of cancer of the oesophagus in 1992. This type of cancer is associated with exposure to cadmium, I believe.

 

[Cabinetman]

Sorry that it might have affected your Dad.
Just shows how far you can trust a politician, what a disgraceful thing to do, and when they knew it was going to be dangerous release the stuff in Africa!
I was going to say it was different times, but I wouldn’t put anything past the beggars.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I suspect there's enough cadmium in Cornwall without its being put there.

My last house had radon levels eight times over the safety limit.

 

[ajs]

I suspect there's enough cadmium in Cornwall without its being put there.

My last house had radium levels eight times over the safety limit.

Radon?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Thanks. I can't even blame that on predictive text.

 

[John Brown]

Thanks. I can't even blame that on predictive text.

Blame it on the Radon.

 

[Jake]

Sorry that it might have affected your Dad.

Seconded

Just shows how far you can trust a politician, what a disgraceful thing to do, and when they knew it was going to be dangerous release the stuff in Africa!
I was going to say it was different times, but I wouldn’t put anything past the beggars.

Conservative politician to be more precise.

 

[Cabinetman]

Seconded

Conservative politician to be more precise.

No, as I said, “a politician” and if I wasn’t clear I definitely mean every single one of the freeloading wastes of space.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Sadly hind sight is 20:20. Many toxic, carcinogenic and dangerous substances were treated with very different care until people knew better. Mercury, arsenic, lead, asbestos, uranium and many others can be added to the list. To say nothing of wood dust which took my grandfather to an early death.