CHEMICAL FORMS OF ARSENIC IN MARINE ORGANISMS, WITH EMPHASIS ON HEMIFUSUS SPECIES

Investigations of arsenic in spindle shells (Hemifusus tuba and H. ternatanus) in Hong Kong have revealed moderate to high concentrations of total arsenic in soft tissues. Levels of inorganic arsenic vary considerably between the tissues in these gastropods, being very high in the gill but much lower in the foot. The significance of these data in terms of public health is discussed. In addition, the uptake of inorganic arsenic from solution by H. tuba is described. The importance of the precise chemical speciation of arsenic in marine biota is emphasized, and the forms of the element reported to date in marine environments are reviewed. A novel hypothesis is described to account for the derivation of all forms of arsenic found in marine organisms to the present. It is proposed that these diverse compounds all arise from a single anabolic/catabolic pathway concerned with the biosynthesis and turnover of phospholipids.