[Air pollution by cadmium in Marseille (author's transl)]

The control of the air pollution by cadmium in Marseille was realized between July 1st 1977 and June 30 1979 by determining the metal in the air dust by atomic absorption spectrophotometry without flame. The samples were taken on eight different stations located in the urban-center and in the suburbs. The atmospheric levels of cadmium in Marseille are low but a note-worthy increase was noticed from september 1978. A principal components analysis of the data compared with these obtained with other atmospheric pollutants, revealed the particular characteristic of cadmium in Marseille, which seems to be bound neither with the pollutants issued from motor vehicles, nor with zinc of which it is yet an impurity. However vigilance is indispensable against the environmental contamination by cadmium in consideration of its potential risks for the health.