Arsenic is a ubiquitous element that ranks 20th in abundance in the earth's crust, 14th in the seawater and 12th in the human body. It comprises about five hundred-thousandths of 1 % (0.00005 %) of the earth's crust. It is widely distributed in nature in the form of either metalloids or chemical compounds, primarily present in inorganic forms and exists in two predominant species: arsenate and arsenite. Arsenite is much more toxic, soluble and mobile than As(V). Arsenate (as H2AsO4 – and HAsO4 ) is the predominant form of arsenic in well-oxidized waters, while arsenite occurs predominantly as H3AsO3 0 and H2AsO3 – in reduced environments. Albertus Magnus in 1250 AD for the first documented the hazardous effects of arsenic. Since then arsenic has been a center of controversy in human history. Arsenic is well known for its hazardous effects on both flora and fauna. The consumption of arsenic contaminated water is the main path for its transportation into the environment and biological systems. The use of arsenical drugs in the production of food animal is an anthropogenic source of arsenic exposure. These drugs results in residual contamination of animal food products, as well as environmental contamination associated with disposal of REVIEW
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