Distribution of arsenic in the natural environment with emphasis on rocks and soils

Abstract

AbstractArsenic is ubiquitous in the environment. Although the average arsenic concentrations in rocks (∼2 mg kg−1), soils (∼2 mg kg−1), freshwater (∼1 m̈g dm−3), seawater (∼2 m̈g dm−3) and organisms is generally low, high arsenic concentrations in limited areas are not uncommon. Whereas terrestrial organisms appear not to accumulate arsenic, marine organisms effectively concentrate arsenic to levels thousand of times higher than in ocean waters. The geochemical cycle and mineralogy of arsenic are reviewed with some emphasis towards Japanese locations and arsenic concentrations (averages, ranges) found in samples from the lithosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere are tabulated and discussed.