Peters G R, McCurdy R F, Hindmarsh J T
MDS Environmental Services Ltd., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci. 1996;33(6):457-93. doi: 10.3109/10408369609080055.
The toxicity of arsenic and its long history of use in human culture has resulted in widespread concern about the natural and anthropogenic levels of arsenic in our environment. In this article, an overview of the current environmental status of arsenic is presented. A brief history of the usage of this element is followed by a discussion of the current applications. Both natural as well as anthropogenic sources of input are described and discussed in terms of their relative impact on the Earth's environment. Numerous control mechanisms for arsenic exist in the environment, and the major processes involved (physical, chemical, and biological) are highlighted. Natural cycling of this element through the various environmental compartments (air, water, soil, and biota) are described as well as some current methods for the removal of arsenic from natural and industrial waters. Finally, a brief overview of the most common methods for the analysis of arsenic in environmental samples is presented.
砷的毒性及其在人类文化中的悠久使用历史，引发了人们对环境中砷的自然和人为含量的广泛关注。本文概述了当前砷的环境状况。在简要介绍该元素的使用历史之后，讨论了其当前的应用。描述并讨论了自然和人为输入源对地球环境的相对影响。环境中存在多种砷的控制机制，并重点介绍了其中涉及的主要过程（物理、化学和生物过程）。描述了该元素在各个环境介质（空气、水、土壤和生物群）中的自然循环，以及一些从天然水和工业水中去除砷的当前方法。最后，简要概述了环境样品中砷分析的最常用方法。
