The toxicity of arsenic is species dependent. Inorganic arsenic species such as arsenite (As[III]) and arsenate (As[V]) have been classified as carcinogens. Methylated forms such as monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) have recently been labeled as cancer promoters. Arsenobetaine (AsB), arsenocholine (AsC), and arseno sugars have been found to be relatively nontoxic. This application note describes ASE methods for the extraction of various arsenic species from different food matrices, specifically fish tissue, ribbon kelp, and vegetables grown in contaminated soil.
