It's been a while since I've had a complete physical. Last week, I went for the entire checkup.
I requested a heavy metals check when they took my blood. I asked them to check my cadmium levels (CdBr) and mercury (Hg) levels.
After almost a decade of handling a lot of heavy metal, I wanted to get a baseline for my new life in the states with a new fume hood and improved safety features in my darkroom.
I've always been extremely safe when I handle heavy metals. I get it, I know and understand the danger but still want to live my life and make my art.
Long story short: my cadmium (none at all) and mercury levels are normal - no problem at all. If you work in these processes and have never had the test, I encourage you to do so. These are dangerous and deadly metals, if you've been exposing yourself and don't know it, you could have a very grim future with diseases and major health problems. It's better to be safe than sorry.