A constant composition method has been used for the study of the kinetics of calcium carbonate (calcite) dissolution in which the activities of ionic species in relatively undersaturated solutions are maintained constant. Over a range of relative undersaturation (0.032-0.158) the dissolution reaction appears to be controlled by a bulk diffusion process. The suggestion of a predominantly diffusion-controlled process was supported by the observed low activation energy (2.09 kcal mol-1). The influence of a number of metal ions on the reaction rate has been investigated. The retardation effect of these additives has been attributed to the blocking of active sites by adsorption of metal ions at the crystal surfaces. Inhibition of dissolution by metal ions can be interpreted in terms of a Langmuir isotherm.