About Arsenates

Arsenate Ion

Arsenates are salts or esters of arsenic acid. The arsenic atom in arsenate is also known as pentavalent arsenic or As(V) and has a valency of 5. Arsenates are moderate oxidizers, with a potential of +0.56 for reduction to arsenites. Arsenates are chemically similar the more well-known phosphates in many respects, and this similarity is responsible for the mechanism of arsenic toxicity: in biological systems, substitution of arsenate for inorganic phosphate disrupts essential biochemical pathways. A number of naturally occurring minerals, including the iron mineral scorodite, are arsenates. Arsenates are frequently used commercially as insecticides or preservatives.