Decreased GFR and TmG and increased beta-2-microglobulin excretion were found in a worker with a nine-year exposure to cadmium. The patient's recent marked weight loss and other multiple symptoms could not be explained on these abnormalities or by results of other specialized studies. Increased urinary beta-2-microglobulin without proteinuria but with elevated blood and urine cadmium levels in this patient raises questions about which biological indicators will prove to be most helpful in effectively monitoring cadmium workers.