[Speciation analysis and toxicity of arsenic in realgar bioleaching solution].

Objective: To analyze speciation and toxicity of arsenic in realgar bioleaching solution, and to explore its possible relation between speciation and toxicity.
Methods: Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) can be used quickly and simply onto the simultaneous separation and quantitative determination of the speciation of arsenic in realgar bioleaching solution. The effects of three different realgar bioleaching liquids on the acute toxicity level of rat were also investigated as well. Parallel experiments with traditional processing realgar via gastric irrigation were conducted for comparison.
Results: There are three different arsenic species in realgar bioleaching solution (iAs(III), iAs(V) MMA(V)), and the processing method largely affected speciation and toxicity of arsenic of it. It was found that the toxicity level was decreased through increasing the amount of MMA(V).
Conclusion: These results indicate that the species of arsenic may be tightly relationship to its toxicity in realgar bioleaching solution.