A rapid and selective method has been developed for the determination of cadmium in environmental samples by thermal neutron activation analysis, employing substoichiometric solvent extraction technique. Alcoholic solution of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole /2-HMBT/ has been used for the substoichiometric extraction of Cd/II/ from an aqueous solution of pH 7.0 into methyl iso-butyl ketone /MIBK/.