Cadmium is an element. Its most abundant naturally-occurring isotope is non-radioactive. It is found in nature in mineral forms and is obtained for commercial uses principally from cadmium ore, called greenockite, which is commonly found in association with zinc ore. Commercial production of cadmium ore depends on the mining of zinc (ATSDR 1999).
Cadmium is commercially available as an oxide, chloride, or sulfide. Cadmium metal (Cd2+) refined from the ore is a silver-white, blue-tinged lustrous heavy metal solid at room temperature (National Toxicology Program [NTP] 2004).
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