The Anthrobiogeochemical Cycle of Indium: A Review of the Natural and Anthropogenic Cycling of Indium in the Environment

Indium is an important metal whose production is increasing dramatically due to new uses in the rapidly growing electronics, photovoltaic, and LED industries. Little is known about the natural or industrial cycling of indium, and toxicological data are incomplete. This review presents the existing state of knowledge of indium's natural and industrial fluxes, chemical behavior, toxicity, and analytical methods by which it is measured. Additionally, the authors present evidence of industrial influence on environmental indium concentrations, and seek to define future research needs that may allow a thorough investigation of the environmental behavior of indium and allow informed decisions about its use, handling, and disposal.