Arsenic ecotoxicology

The next eight chapters will be devoted to the ecotoxicology of groups of compounds that have caused concern on account of their real or perceived environmental effects and have been studied both in the laboratory and in the field. These are predominantly compounds produced by humans. However, a few of them, for example, methyl mercury, methyl arsenic, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are also naturally occurring. In this latter case, there can be difficulty in distinguishing between human and natural sources of harmful chemicals. 

Neff J.M. Ecotoxicology of arsenic in the marine environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 1997 16 917-927. 

Many reviews on ecotoxicological aspects of arsenic in the environment are available, including those by Woolson (1975), NAS (1977), NRCC (1978), Pershagen and Valuer (1979), USEPA (1980, 1985), Hood (1985), Andreae (1986), Sorensen (1987), Eisler (1988,1994), Phillips (1990), ATSDR (1992), Abernathy et al. (1997), Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health [SEGH] (1998) and the U.S. Public Health Service [USPHS] (1998). These authorities agree on six points ... 

Tseng, C.-H. (2005) Blackfoot disease and arsenic A never-ending story. Journal of Environmental Science and Health-Part C Environmental Carcinogenesis and Ecotoxicology Reviews, 23(1), 55-74. 

Aziznr Rahman, M., Hasegawa, H., Ueda, K., Maki, T., and Rahman, M.M. 2008. Influence of EDTA and chemical species on arsenic accumulation in Spirodela polyrhiza L. (dnckweed). Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 70(2) 311-18. 

All manner of pollutants are considered under the discipline of terrestrial ecotoxicology including pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, other organic substances, and metals and metalloids (e.g., selenium and arsenic). Naturally occurring toxins such as those produced by poisonous plants, snakes, or invertebrates generally are not included unless people intentionally apply them for pest control. For example, the pyrethroid pesticides are derived from the naturally occurring pyrethrin toxin that is found in chrysanthemum. 

Muribi M (1997). Toxicity of Mustard Gas and Two Arsenic Based Chemical Warfare Agents on Daph-nia magna (for the evaluation of the ecotoxicolog-ical risk of the dumped chemical warfare agents in the Baltic Sea.), Report FOA-R-97-00430-222-SE PB97-206825. Springfield, VA National Technical Information Service. 

Blanck, H. and S.A. Wanberg. 1988. The validity of an ecotoxicological test system. Short-term and long-term effects of arsenate on marine phytoplankton communities in laboratory systems. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 45 1807-1815. 

Reviewers of ecotoxicological aspects of arsenic in the environment agree on six points (1) arsenic is a relatively common element, and is present in air, water, soil, plants, and in all living tissues (2) arsenicals have been used in medicine as chemotherapeutics since 400 BCE, and organoarsenicals were used extensively for this purpose until about 1945, with no serious effects when judiciously administered (3) large quantities of arsenicals are released into the enviromnent as a result of industrial and especially agricultural activities, and these may pose potent... 

Chen, B.C., W.Y. Chen, and C.M. Liao. 2009. A biotic ligand model-based toxicodynamic approach to predict arsenic toxicity to tflapia giUs in cultural ponds. Ecotoxicology 18 377-383. 

Chen, W.Y, and C.M. Liao. 2010. Dynamic features of ecophysiological response of freshwater clam to arsenic revealed by BLM-based toxicological model. Ecotoxicology 19 1074-1083. 

At the same time, there will be increasing pressure to substitute compounds which give rise to concerns regarding their toxicological or ecotoxicological properties. Examples could be arsenic-based products, formal-dehyd-releasing compounds or tributyltin-(TBTO)-based antifoulants. 

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