Cadmium pollution was detected in August 1999 in the Saint-Louis neighborhood of Marseille. The source of this pollution was the company Tréfileries et Laminoirs de la Méditerranée (TLM), which had been manufacturing copper-cadmium alloy wires used in railway overhead lines for several decades. This source of pollution was immediately eliminated following a formal notice from the prefecture: the TLM plant ceased its cadmium-based production. The cadmium-based process had been in use at the TLM plant since approximately 1980. To assess the potential health consequences of exposure to cadmium released by the TLM company in Marseille (Saint Louis district), an evaluation process covering both environmental and health aspects was launched in September 1999 under the authority of a Scientific Committee coordinated by the Regional Health Observatory (ORS PACA). This committee is composed of representatives and experts from the ORS PACA, the Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS), the Interregional Epidemiology Unit (CIRE), the Departmental Directorate of Health and Social Affairs (DDASS), the Regional Directorate of Industry, Research, and the Environment (DRIRE), the Municipal Health and Hygiene Service (SCHS) of the City of Marseille, the Poison Control Center (CAP), the European Center for Research and Education in Environmental Geosciences (CEREGE), and AIRMARAIX, as well as several university professors who are experts in various medical specialties. Cadmium is a heavy metal that accumulates in the body and is eliminated very slowly. The toxic effects of cadmium primarily affect the kidneys, where absorbed cadmium gradually accumulates over time. Cadmium’s renal toxicity initially manifests as an increase in the excretion of small proteins in the urine (low-molecular-weight proteins such as Retinol Binding Protein (RBP)). It is generally accepted that this renal damage can occur when cadmium concentrations in urine exceed the threshold of 2 micrograms per gram (μg/g) of creatinine. Since these effects are linked to cadmium accumulation in the kidneys, they generally do not manifest until adulthood. Exposure to cadmium emissions from the TLM plant may have resulted from inhaling contaminated air and dust and from ingesting contaminated food (vegetables or fruits). Regarding children, contamination linked to ingestion via "hand-to-mouth" contact with contaminated dust may also have occurred. In fact, the cadmium released by the TLM plant settled on the surrounding soil, contaminating vegetable gardens in particular. To assess the health consequences of cadmium emissions, the Scientific Committee proposed the implementation of: 1) An environmental study to identify and characterize the contaminated area; 2) An epidemiological study of children at the Saint-Louis Gare school adjacent to the plant, school staff, and adults residing in the Saint-Louis neighborhood to assess the population’s levels of cadmium exposure and study its health impact. (R.A.)