Speciation studies of arsenic in the environment and in human

Arsenic is the 20th most abundant element in the Earth crust. Humans are exposed to naturally occurring and anthropogenic sources of arsenic compounds in the environment. A wide variety of adverse health effects have been attributed to chronic exposure to high levels of arsenic. More than two-dozen arsenic compounds （species） are present in the environment and in biological systems. The various arsenic species have dramatically different behavior and toxicity. This presentation briefly describes arsenic speciation analysis, human exposure to and metabolism of arsenic species. Environmental issues on arsenic in Canada are briefly discussed. These include （1） the arsenic waste left from previous gold mining and smelting activities; （2） the domestic use of wood treated with chromated copper arsenate; and （3） use of well water as the source of drinking water by approximately one third of the Canadian population.

Speciation studies of arsenic in the environment and in human