arsenic
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Article
47 sectionsContents
- Characteristics
- Physical characteristics
- Isotopes
- Chemistry
- Compounds
- Inorganic compounds
- Alloys
- Organoarsenic compounds
- Occurrence and production
- History
- Applications
- Agricultural
- Medical use
- Alloys
- Military
- Other uses
- Biological role
- Bacteria
- Potential role in higher animals
- Heredity
- Biomethylation
- Environmental issues
- Exposure
- Occurrence in drinking water
- San Pedro de Atacama
- Hazard maps for contaminated groundwater
- Redox transformation of arsenic in natural waters
- Wood preservation in the US
- Mapping of industrial releases in the US
- Bioremediation
- Arsenic removal
- Toxicity and precautions
- Classification
- Legal limits, food, and drink
- Reducing arsenic content in rice
- Occupational exposure limits
- Ecotoxicity
- Toxicity in animals
- Biological mechanism
- Exposure risks and remediation
- Treatment
- Footnotes
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
Arsenic is a chemical element; it has the symbol As and atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is notoriously toxic. It occurs naturally in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. It has various allotropes, but only the grey form, which has a metallic appearance, is important to industry.
The primary use of arsenic is in alloys of lead (for example, in car batteries and ammunition). Arsenic is also a common n-type dopant in semiconductor electronic devices, and a component of the III–V compound semiconductor gallium arsenide. Arsenic and its compounds, especially the trioxide, are used in the production of pesticides, treated wood products, herbicides, and insecticides. These applications are declining with the increasing recognition of the persistent toxicity of arsenic and its compounds.