Arsenic speciation governs arsenic uptake and transport in terrestrial plants

Arsenic is a carcinogenic metalloid that occurs in the environment in a variety of chemical forms, showing different mobility, bioavailability and toxicity. Terrestrial plants may accumulate large amounts of arsenic. To understand how terrestrial plants take up, transport and metabolise these arsenic species, it is essential to characterise arsenic speciation in plant tissues. Given that As species can be transformed from one form to another during sample preparation and the measurement process, arsenic speciation in biological extracts needs to be performed with great care. This paper describes the methods used to measure arsenic speciation in plant tissue and assesses the role of As speciation in As metabolism in higher plants.