Title: What is Arsenic? - Arsenic - University of Maine
Headings: Arsenic
Arsenic
What is Arsenic?

Content: Semiconductors are used a lot in the electronics industry. Biological molecules are made up mostly of non-metals such as carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and phosphorus (P), although metals are needed in much lower amounts. We are mainly interested in arsenic because of its toxicity. Toxic chemicals prevent or affect processes that are required for life. They somehow stop or change a function that is required for the animal, person or plant to live. Arsenic is a very potent toxin. Potent means that it has a strong effect even in very low amounts – so a tiny bit of arsenic can do a lot of damage. About 100 mg of As is enough to kill a grown person – that’s about 1/20th of a teaspoon! Arsenic is a naturally occurring compound. It is found in the Earth’s crust (the solid outer layer that we live on) at a concentration of around 2-5 parts per million.