Water-soluble Arsenic Species Research Articles

Arsenic species in terrestrial fungi and lichens from Yellowknife, NWT, Canada

Levels of total arsenic and arsenic species were determined in fungi collected from Yellowknife, NWT, Canada, an area that has been affected by past mining activities and elevated arsenic levels. Lichens (belonging to Cladonia and Cladina genera), as well as the mushrooms Coprinus comatus, Paxillus involutus, Psathyrella candolleana and Leccinum scabrum, were studied for the first time. Most of the fungi contained elevated arsenic levels with respect to data found in the literature for background levels. Minor amounts of arsenobetaine were found in all lichen samples. The major water-soluble arsenic species in the fungi were inorganic arsenic for lichens and Psathyrella candolleana, arsenobetaine for Lycoperdon pyriforme and Coprinus comatus, and dimethylarsenate for Paxillus involutus and Leccinum scabrum. A large proportion of water-soluble arsenic in Paxillus involutus occurred as an unknown compound, which did not co-chromatograph with any of the available standard arsenic compounds. Low proportions of water-soluble arsenic species (made evident by low extraction efficiencies) were observed in the majority of fungi studied. Arsenic that is not extracted may be bound to lipids, cell components or proteins, or might exist on the surface of the fungus as minerals. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Predominance of Inorganic Arsenic Species in Plants from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Elevated levels of arsenic in Yellowknife, NWT, Canada, from historic and recent gold mine operations, are of increasing concern to Yellowknife residents. The study of arsenic in Yellowknife plants is a part of ongoing bioavailability and food chain research. A variety of plants from Yellowknife were analyzed for total arsenic and water soluble arsenic species. The plants included vascular plants and bryophytes (mosses). Total amounts of arsenic were greatest in mosses and varied greatly within specimens of the same plant species from different locations. Mostly inorganic arsenic species were extracted from plants using methanol/water (1:1). This result is very important from a toxicological point of view, since inorganic species are relatively toxic arsenic species. Small amounts of methylated arsenic species, as well as arsenosugars, were present in some plants. On average, greater than 50% of arsenic in these plants was not extracted; the chemical and toxicological characteristics of this fraction rema...

The identification of some water-soluble arsenic species in the marine brown algaeFucus distichus

The extraction and clean-up procedures developed to isolate the water-soluble arsenic species present in the marine macroalga Fucus distichus, from British Columbia, Canada, are described. The arsenic species were extracted into methanol and then subjected to gel-permeation and ion-exchange chromatography. Fractions high in arsenic were identified by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS), and further investigated by using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (HPLC–ICP MS). By using different HPLC columns and mobile-phase conditions, the four major arsenic-containing compounds present in the macroalga were positively identified as arsenosugars; one minor compound remained unidentified. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The identification of some water‐soluble arsenic species in the marine brown algae Fucus distichus

The extraction and clean-up procedures developed to isolate the water-soluble arsenic species present in the marine macroalga Fucus distichus, from British Columbia, Canada, are described. The arsenic species were extracted into methanol and then subjected to gel-permeation and ion-exchange chromatography. Fractions high in arsenic were identified by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS), and further investigated by using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (HPLC–ICP MS). By using different HPLC columns and mobile-phase conditions, the four major arsenic-containing compounds present in the macroalga were positively identified as arsenosugars; one minor compound remained unidentified. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.