Arsenic biochemistry refers to biochemical processes that can use arsenic or its compounds, such as arsenate. Arsenic is a moderately abundant element in Earth's crust, and although many arsenic compounds are often considered highly toxic to most life, a wide variety of organoarsenic compounds are produced biologically and various organic and inorganic arsenic compounds are metabolized by numerous organisms. This pattern is general for other related elements, including selenium, which can exhibit both beneficial and deleterious effects. Arsenic biochemistry has become topical since many toxic arsenic compounds are found in some aquifers,[1] potentially affecting many millions of people via biochemical processes.[2]
- ^ Pearce, Fred (2006). When the Rivers Run Dry: Journeys Into the Heart of the World's Water Crisis. Toronto: Key Porter. ISBN 978-1-55263-741-8.
- ^ Elke Dopp, Andrew D. Kligerman and Roland A. Diaz-Bone Organoarsenicals. Uptake, Metabolism, and Toxicity 2010, Royal Society of Chemistry. ISBN 978-1-84973-082-2. doi:10.1039/9781849730822-00231