Cadmium isotopes as tracers in environmental studies: A review

Cadmium isotopic compositions in non-contaminated systems and anthropogenic sources of Cd generally have different isotopic signatures. Cadmium isotopes, as a novel tracer, can be useful for fingerprinting the anthropogenic Cd sources, providing a promising source tracing technique in environmental studies. This review presents: (i) analytical techniques for Cd isotopic composition; (ii) isotopic signatures of Cd derived from anthropogenic activities; (iii) isotopic compositions of Cd in the industrial-impacted environmental samples; (iv) cadmium isotopic fractionation induced by geochemical process. Finally, the perspectives of using Cd isotopic compositions in environmental studies are also briefly discussed.