Here we present a library of Cd reference compounds Cd K-edge XAS spectra relevant to soil and plant samples. We reported mu (eV) .txt files for each reference as well as a .pdf file that gives details on the preparation of the references and on the acquisition of the spectra. Additional information can be found in Pons et al., 2021, Environmental Pollution. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116897