Arsenic and Tin in Foods: Reviews of Commonly Used Methods of Analysis

Arsenicals have been known for centuries to be toxic to all forms of life. The trivalent form of arsenic is considerably more toxic than the pentavalent form. The use of arsenic trioxide as a poison prompted investigations into methods for its detection and determination in forensic situations. In fact, the detection of arsenic in trace amounts over a century ago can be considered as one of the earliest examples of trace analysis in food chemistry. The biological role of arsenic has been the subject of considerable discussion and controversy for many decades. Evidence is now accumulating which indicates a role as an essential nutrient for arsenic in some animals.