This document specifies a method for the determination of the mass concentration of particulate cadmium and cadmium compounds in workplace air, using either flame or electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.

The sample digestion procedure specified in 10.2.2 has been validated[2,3] for a selection of cadmium compounds and pigments and glass enamels containing cadmium.

The analytical method has been validated[2] for the determination of masses of 10 ng to 600 ng of cadmium per sample using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, and 0,15 μg to 96 μg of cadmium per sample using flame atomic absorption spectrometry.[3] The concentration range for cadmium in air for which this procedure is applicable is determined in part by the sampling procedure selected by the user.

The method is applicable to personal sampling of the inhalable or respirable fraction of airborne particles, as defined in ISO 7708, and to stationary sampling.