  The low-temperature behavior of the Casimir-Polder free energy and entropy
for an atom near a dielectric plate are found on the basis of the Lifshitz
theory. The obtained results are shown to be thermodynamically consistent if
the dc conductivity of the plate material is disregarded. With inclusion of dc
conductivity, both the standard Lifshitz theory (for all dielectrics) and its
generalization taking into account screening effects (for a wide range of
dielectrics) violate the Nernst heat theorem. The inclusion of the screening
effects is also shown to be inconsistent with experimental data of Casimir
force measurements. The physical reasons for this inconsistency are elucidated.
