ARSENIC: ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Arsenic compounds can cause short term or long term effects to ecologies and their various organisms. For aquatic species exposed to concentrations ranging from a few micrograms to milligrams per liter, the impact of arsenic will depend on the species type and time of exposure. Aquatic species and plants exposed to arsenic may suffer inhibition of growth, photosynthesis, reproduction and behavioral effects, and even death. In most cases, environments contaminated with arsenic contain only a few species that are resistant to the negative effects of the element.