The source, characteristics and distribution of arsenic in the environment

Abstract

Arsenic is an ubiquitous element found in natural materials and in industrial products. The range of its concentrations found in the environment is large. Arsenic can occur in several oxidation states and is found in inorganic and organic forms. It is relatively mobile. The presence of arsenic in the environment, even at low levels, has negative effects on human and animal health. The investigation of arsenic content and behaviour in different type of waters and environment is important for chemistry and environmental protection. This paper represents a short review of scientific and expert investigations on the source, characteristics and distribution of arsenic in the environment.Arsen je rasprostranjen u prirodi, nalazi se u atmosferi, zemljistu, stjenama, prirodnim vodama i organizmima. Opseg koncentracija u kojima se moze naci u prirodi je sirok (u prirodnim vodama od 0,5 do 5000 ?g/L). Zastupljen je u neorganskim i organskim jedinjenjima u valentnim stanjima -3, 0, +3 i +5. Relativno je mobilan i ima ga u tragovima u svim materijalima. Pored prirodnih materijala, nalazi se u industrijskim proizvodima jer se koristi u: medicini, poljoprivredi, elektronici, industriji i metalurgiji. Prisustvo arsena u zivotnoj sredini, cak i u niskim koncentracijama, ugrozava zdravlje ljudi i zivotinja. U organizam dospjeva vodom ili preko lanca ishrane. Ispitivanje sadrzaja i ponasanja arsena u raznim vrstama voda i uopste u zivotnoj sredini od velikog je znacaja za herniju i zastitu zivotne sredine. Ovaj rad predstavlja kratak revijalni pregled naucnih i strucnih saznanja o porijeklu, svojstvima i raspodjeli arsena u zivotnoj sredini.