Determination of cadmium in water samples by substoichiometric radiochemical method employing potassium ethyl xanthate.

A radiochemical method has been developed for the determination of microgram amounts of cadmium based on the substoichiometric extraction of its 1:2 complex with potassium ethyl xanthate into 1:4 v/v mixture of pyridine and ethyl acetate from 2.5 M sodium formate. 10-90 micrograms of cadmium was determined with an average error of +/- 1.96%. The method developed was successfully applied to the determination of Cd contents in water samples.