Cadmium

Cadmium (Cd) — 10-Year Trends

As of 2026-09-25 · the last 10 years

Research intensity is currently at about 99% of the element's all-time peak, a level reached within this specific decade.

Research intensity ran from about 78% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 99% in 2026 — a steady climb, and the all-time peak (2025) falls inside this window. Over the same span its share of research attention across all elements rose. Among the 118 elements, cadmium has a larger-than-average research literature.

The number of papers involving the element rose from about 34,251 in 2016 to about 75,617 in 2025 (2.21x). That matches the growth of the literature as a whole over the same years: the general tide of scientific output, not a surge specific to the element.

The largest share of cadmium research belongs to work on Cadmium Toxicity and Tolerance in Rice and Wheat. These papers examine how rice and wheat absorb cadmium from contaminated soil and the physiological mechanisms that determine their sensitivity or resistance to this heavy metal. Cadmium is one strand of a broader community — about 13% of its papers involve cadmium. This area accounts for about 23% of the element's recent research, a steady share compared to the previous period. A 2021 review on heavy metals and pesticides in agricultural soil, cited over 2,300 times, anchors this field, alongside a 2025 study in Science on global soil pollution, cited over 840 times.

A second major area is Cadmium Toxicity and Lead Co-Exposure in Animal Models. These studies focus on cadmium-induced toxicity and oxidative stress in Wistar rats, often comparing effects with lead and mercury exposure. Cadmium is one strand of a broader community — about 21% of its papers involve cadmium. This community's share of cadmium research has declined from about 19% to 14% over the last decade. Key works include a 2021 paper on the toxic mechanisms of five heavy metals, cited over 3,100 times, and a 2024 review on heavy metals and human health, cited over 950 times.

In the energy sector, research on Colloidal Quantum Dots and Thin-Film Photovoltaics represents a significant portion of the literature. Here, cadmium is central to the community — about 33% of its papers involve cadmium. However, its share of cadmium-specific research has declined from about 20% to 13%. Notable recent work includes a 2024 Nature Energy paper on copper indium gallium selenide solar cells, cited over 420 times, and a 2023 review on CdTe-based thin film photovoltaics, cited over 400 times.

Finally, Cadmium Telluride Quantum Dots in Fluorescent Probes is a rapidly growing niche. These papers focus on synthesizing cadmium telluride quantum dots and using them for ratiometric fluorescence detection. Cadmium is a minor presence in this much larger community — about 7% of its papers involve cadmium — but its share of cadmium research has risen sharply from 3% to 10%. A 2020 paper on carbon dots, cited over 1,900 times, and a 2023 review on carbon dot applications, cited over 590 times, highlight this emerging direction.

Overall, the composition of cadmium research is shifting: while toxicity in crops remains steady, the share of work in animal models and photovoltaics is declining, while fluorescent probes are gaining ground. The remainder of the literature, comprising other smaller communities, now holds about 40% of the research, up from 32% a decade ago.

For a detailed look at the current standing of cadmium research, see the Last 12 Months and Executive Brief reports.