THE FATE OF ORGANOARSENIC COMPOUNDS IN MARINE ECOSYSTEMS

Microbial degradation experiments were performed with each standard arsenical [arsenobetaine, trimethylarsine oxide, dimethylarsinic acid, methanearsonic acid, inorganic arsenic(V) and inorganic arsenic(III)]. As typical origins for marine micro-organisms, sediments, macro-algae, mollusc intestine and suspended substances were used. The results were from these experiments led us to the following conclusions: (1) there is an arsenic cycle which begins with the methylation of inorganic arsenic on the route to arsenobetaine and terminates with the complete degradation of arsenobetaine to inorganic arsenic; (2) all the organoarsenic compounds which are derived from inorganic arsenic in seawater, through the food chains, have the fate that they, at least in part, finally return to the original inorganic arsenic.