Cadmium Chemical Form in Mine Waste Materials by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

This study examines the molecular form of cadmium (Cd) present in mine wastes by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS; Cd>20 mg/kg) using the K-edge of Cd at the Photon Factory Advanced Ring (PF-AR), NW10A beam line at KEK-Tsukuba-Japan. Mine waste materials and zinc concentrate were analyzed for Cd by ICPMS prior to undertaking XAS (range 21-452 mg/kg). Model compounds (CdO, Cd(OH)2, CdCO3, Cdacetate, CdS, Cdstearate, CdDEDTC) and samples were examined in solid form at 20 K. The XANES spectra showed similar E max values for both model compounds and samples. The EXAFS showed that Cd-S in CdS, gives a flatter spectrum in the extended region compared to Cd-O found with CdCO3, CdO and Cd Stearate. Linear combination fitting with model Cd compounds did not give clear assignments of composition, indicating that more detailed EXAFS spectra is required as mineral forms containing Cd were present rather than simple Cd compounds such as CdCO3. The Cd bond for a single shell model in mine waste sample matrices appears to be either Cd-O or Cd-S, or a combination of both. Comparison of molecular data from the XAS studies with bioaccessibility data giving a prediction of bioavailability for mine waste materials provides useful information about the significance of the cadmium form as a contaminant for health risk assessment purposes.