The Periodic Table of Caches: Z=48 Traditional Geocache
pezmon: Moving out of the area
The Periodic Table of Caches: Z=48
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This elemental cache is approximately 200 feet from the road. It is on public hunting and fishing grounds, so be careful during hunting seasons. There is a cool (IMHO) FTF prize for all aspiring chemists! Please limit yourselves to one of these cool prizes per person. When you log your find, include your favorite chemistry memory.
According to Sam Kean's book, The Disappearing Spoon, cadmium is one of the most dangerous elements on the periodic table. Usually found along with zinc in the earth's crust, it was often discarded in mining sludge when zinc was the target metal. As early as 1912, doctors in Japan were noticing that farmers downstream of Kamioka mines were experience joint and deep bone pain, soft and easily broken bones, and kidney failure.
Cadmium, due to its chemical similarity to zinc, can replace zinc in biochemical functions in the body. It can also replace sulfur and calcium, the latter leading to soft bones.
One of the biggest use for cadmium today is nickel-cadmium batteries. These batteries should never be thrown in the trash due to cadmium's toxic effects on animals.
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to the Wautoma Service Center of the Wisconsin DNR. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: (visit link)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[pinus alba]