Arsenic environmental impacts

Although both copper and, to a greater extent, chromium (Cox and Richardson, 1978 Richardson and Cox, 1985) have associated environmental impacts, particular concerns have been expressed regarding the use of arsenic. 

Helsen, L. and Van den Bulck, E. (2004) Review of thermochemical conversion processes as disposal technologies for chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood waste, in Environmental Impacts of Preservative-Treated Wood, Florida Center for Environmental Solutions, Conference, Gainesville, Florida, February 8-11, Orlando, FL, pp. 277-94. 

Geologists define a mineral as a naturally occurring, crystalline, and inorganic solid. Although liquids, gases, synthetic materials, amorphous substances, and organic compounds may contain arsenic, they are not minerals. Arsenic minerals include rhombohedral elemental arsenic, arsenolamprite, pararsenolamprite, and over 320 inorganic compounds (Foster, 2003), 39. Chapter 3 discusses the natural occurrences and potential environmental impacts of several of the more common arsenic minerals. 

Environmental impacts of arsenic in hydrothermal and geothermal fluids... 

Pfeifer, H.-R. and Zobrist, J. (2002) Arsenic in deep groundwater of Switzerland and their environmental impact and health risk. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 66(15A), 597. 

Juntunen, R., Vartiainen, S. and Pullinen, A. (2004) Arsenic in water from drilled bedrock wells in Pirkanmaa, in Arseeni Suomen Luonnossa Ymparistovaikutukset Ja Riskit(Arsenic in Finland Distribution, environmental impacts and risks) (eds R. K., Loukola and P. Lahermo), Geologian Tutkimuskeskus, Espoo, pp. 111-22. 

There were 37 distinct enzymes that contain molybdenum or tungsten known by the end of 1997. The enzymes are diverse in function, broadly distributed, and include oxidases, reductases, dehydrogenases, a transhydroxylase, and a hydratase. The Mo enzymes are found in eubacteria, archae, protista, fungi, plants, and animals (including humans) and are essential for respiration and carbon and nitrogen assimilation. Several of the enzymatic substrates and products are key components in the nitrogen, sulfur, selenium, carbon, and arsenic cycles and have major biological and environmental impact. 

Carnes, S.A., J.A. Boyette, F.C. Kornegay, et al. 1986. Preliminary Assessment of the Health and Environmental Impacts of Incinerating M55 Rockets Stored at Pine Bluff Arsenal, Lexington-Blue Grass Depot Activity, and/or Anniston Army Depot at Pine Blujf Arsenal. ORNL-6197. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN. 

Roussel C., Bril H., and Fernandez A. (2000a) Arsenic speciation involvement in evaluation of environmental impact caused by mine wastes. J. Environ. Qual. 29, 182-188. 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ARSENIC IN COAL AND METAMORPHIC ROCKS. 

Rossman GR (1994) Colored varieties of the sihca minerals In Silica, Vol 29. Heaney PJ, Prewitt CT, Gibbs GV (eds) Mineralogical Society of America, Washington DC, p 433-467 Roussel C, Bril H, Fernandez A (2000) Arsenic speciation Involvement in evaluation of environmental impact caused by mine wastes. J Env Qual 29 182-188 Ruby MV, Davis A, Nicholson A (1994) In situ formation of lead phosphates in soils as a method to immobilize lead. Env Sci Tech 28 646-654... 

Thus the environmental impact of antimony seems to be rather important, certainly greater than that of its chemically similar companion, arsenic. Some brief observations might clarify the situation. Fig. 7 indicates the sites of the highest blood levels of Sb (as well as Hg). It can be seen that their locations agree well with both the fault system and the related points of rising hydrothermal fluids. 

Environmental fate and behavior, bioavailability, and toxicity of arsenic vary dramatically with the chemical forms (species) in which arsenic exists. While inorganic arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] are highly toxic, mono-methylarsonic acid [MMA(V)] and dimethylarsinic acid [DMA(V)] are less toxic, and predominant arsenic species present in most crustacean types of seafood are essentially nontoxic (1,5-8). Thus, assessments of environmental impact and human health risk sPictly based on measurements of total element concenfiation are not reliable. It is important to identify and quantify individual chemical species of the element (i.e., chemical speciation). 

It is well known that arsenic is one of the most dangerous elements in terms of its potential impacts to both to human and ecosystem health. Therefore the problem of As detection at ppb level remains very important from the point of environmental hazard investigation. The goal of the present work is the developing of very simple and inexpensive assay for arsenite and arsenate determination in environmental samples using whole-cell bacterial biosensors. 

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