Abstract
Arsenic (atom. no. 33) is a steel-gray, brittle, crystalline metalloid with three allotropic forms that are yellow, black, and gray. It tarnishes in air and when heated is rapidly oxidized to arsenous oxide (As2O3) with the odor of garlic. It belongs to Group V-A of the periodic table, has an atom. wt. of 74.92, and closely resembles phosphorus chemically. Gray As, the ordinary stable form, has a density of 5.73 g cm−3, a melting pt. of 817 ºC, and sublimes at 613 ºC. The more common oxidation states for As are —III, 0, III, and V. Arsines and methylarsines, which are —III species, are generally unstable in air. Elemental As (As0) is formed by the reduction of arsenic oxides. Arsenic trioxide (As3+) is a product of smelting operation and is the raw material used in forming most arsenicals. It is oxidized catalytically or by bacteria to arsenic pentoxide (As5+) or orthoarsenic acid (H3AsO4). Arsenic compounds compete with their phosphorus analogs for chemical binding sites. Arsenic covalently bonds with most nonmetals and metals, and forms stable organic compounds in both its trivalent and pentavalent states. The most important compounds are white As (As2O3), the sulfide, Paris green (copper acetoarsenite) [3Cu(AsO2)2·Cu(CH3COO)2], calcium arsenate, and lead arsenate, the last three being used as pesticides and poisons.
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Adriano, D.C. (2001). Arsenic. In: Trace Elements in Terrestrial Environments. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-21510-5_7
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