Arsenic thermodynamics

Nordstrom, D.K. and Archer, D.G. (2003) Arsenic thermodynamic data and environmental geochemistry, in Arsenic in Ground Water (eds A.H. Welch and K.G. Stollenwerk), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, MA, pp. 1-25. 

As is evident from the examples we have cited, most environmental problems are highly complex and often ill-defined. At a minimum, they usually require a synthesis of virtually all elements of the chemical engineer s arsenal—thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, and transport phenomena at the most, an interdisciplinary team is required. An insufficient understanding of molecular-scale processes is frequently the key obstacle in developing innovative approaches to environmental protection. 

Arsine accidentally released in air or water will be rapidly diluted and oxidized to other arsenicals. The final oxidized state would be arsenate (thermodynamically more stable). A small percentage would remain in water whereas the rest would be distributed along the sediment zones. 

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