The Predominance of Inorganic Arsenic Species in Plants from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Elevated levels of arsenic in Yellowknife, NWT, Canada, from historic and recent gold mine operations, are of increasing concern to Yellowknife residents. The study of arsenic in Yellowknife plants is a part of ongoing bioavailability and food chain research. A variety of plants from Yellowknife wer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2000-01, Vol.34 (1), p.22-26
Main Authors: Koch, Iris, Wang, Lixia, Ollson, Chris A, Cullen, William R, Reimer, Kenneth J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
ARSENIC
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
Biological and medical sciences
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES
Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution
Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on plants and fungi
Environmental impact
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Flowers & plants
Food contamination & poisoning
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gold mines
LAND POLLUTION
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
PLANTS
Plants (botany)
ROOT ABSORPTION
SOILS
Solubility
Toxic materials
Toxicity
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Summary:Elevated levels of arsenic in Yellowknife, NWT, Canada, from historic and recent gold mine operations, are of increasing concern to Yellowknife residents. The study of arsenic in Yellowknife plants is a part of ongoing bioavailability and food chain research. A variety of plants from Yellowknife were analyzed for total arsenic and water soluble arsenic species. The plants included vascular plants and bryophytes (mosses). Total amounts of arsenic were greatest in mosses and varied greatly within specimens of the same plant species from different locations. Mostly inorganic arsenic species were extracted from plants using methanol/water (1:1). This result is very important from a toxicological point of view, since inorganic species are relatively toxic arsenic species. Small amounts of methylated arsenic species, as well as arsenosugars, were present in some plants. On average, greater than 50% of arsenic in these plants was not extracted; the chemical and toxicological characteristics of this fraction remain a topic for further study.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/es9906756