Key Arsenic Compounds Chemical and Analytical Considerations

In chemical combination, arsenic can exist in oxidation state III or V and can have a coordination number of 3, 4, 5, or 6. In marine samples, arsenic is mainly found in the V oxidation state, although, usually as a consequence of biological factors, arsenic (III) compounds can also occur and may at times be predominant. The properties and analysis of the various arsenic-containing compounds of significance in marine arsenic research are briefly discussed, and information is provided on their synthesis. For ease of reference, the arsenic compounds frequently mentioned by name (or abbreviation/acronym) are listed in Table IV together with their structure numbers. 

In normal seawater, the major As(V) species is calculated to be HAsC 4 (1) (98% of total) with trace amounts of H2AsC 4 and AsO  

Abbreviations, and Structures of Some Marine Arsenic-Containing Compounds 

The most useful chemical species in the analysis of arsenic is the volatile hydride, namely arsine (AsH3, bp -55°C). Analytical methods based on the formation of volatile arsines are generally referred to as hydride, or arsine, generation techniques. Arsenite is readily reduced to arsine, which is easily separated from complex sample matrices before its detection, usually by atomic absorption spectrometry (33). A solution of sodium borohydride is the most commonly used reductant. Because arsenate does not form a hydride directly, arsenite can be analyzed selectively in its presence (34). Specific analysis of As(III) in the presence of As(V) can also be effected by selective extraction methods (35). 

Arsenic compounds with one to four methyl groups attached to the arsenic atom are common constituents of marine samples. The relevant species are monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) (3), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) (4), trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO) (5), and tetramethylarson-ium ion (TeMA) (6). Of these, MMA and DMA are readily separated 

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