Editing Arsenic (section)

== Occurrence and production ==
{{See also|:Category:Arsenide minerals|l1=Arsenide minerals|:Category:Arsenate minerals|l2=Arsenate minerals}}
[[File:Native arsenic.jpg|upright=0.9|thumb|A large sample of native arsenic from [[Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines]], France]]

Arsenic is the 53rd most abundant element in the [[Earth's crust]], comprising about 1.5&nbsp;[[parts per million]]&nbsp;(0.00015%).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Emsley |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dGZaDwAAQBAJ&dq=%2253rd+most+abundant+element%22&pg=PA52 |title=Nature's Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements |date=2011-08-25 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-257046-8 |language=en}}</ref> Typical background concentrations of arsenic do not exceed 3&nbsp;ng/m<sup>3</sup> in the atmosphere; 100&nbsp;mg/kg in soil; 400&nbsp;μg/kg in vegetation; 10&nbsp;μg/L in freshwater and 1.5&nbsp;μg/L in seawater.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rieuwerts|first=John |title=The Elements of Environmental Pollution|date=2015|publisher=Earthscan Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-85919-6|location=London and New York|page=145 |oclc=886492996}}</ref> Arsenic is the 22nd most abundant element in seawater<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Papry |first1=Rimana Islam |last2=Omori |first2=Yoshiki |last3=Fujisawa |first3=Shogo |last4=Al Mamun |first4=M. Abdullah |last5=Miah |first5=Sohag |last6=Mashio |first6=Asami S. |last7=Maki |first7=Teruya |last8=Hasegawa |first8=Hiroshi |display-authors=6 |date=2020-05-01 |title=Arsenic biotransformation potential of marine phytoplankton under a salinity gradient |journal=Algal Research |volume=47 |pages=101842 |doi=10.1016/j.algal.2020.101842 |bibcode=2020AlgRe..4701842P }}</ref> and ranks 41st in abundance in the universe.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Helmenstine |first=Anne |date=2022-06-28 |title=Composition of the Universe - Element Abundance |url=https://sciencenotes.org/composition-of-the-universe-element-abundance/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Science Notes and Projects |language=en-US}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=December 2024}}

Minerals with the formula MAsS and MAs<sub>2</sub> (M = [[Iron|Fe]], [[Nickel|Ni]], [[Cobalt|Co]]) are the dominant commercial sources of arsenic, together with [[realgar]] (an arsenic sulfide mineral) and native (elemental) arsenic. An illustrative mineral is [[arsenopyrite]]<!--, also unofficially called mispickel,<ref>{{cite journal|journal = Geology Today|volume = 18|issue = 2|pages = 72–75|title = Minerals explained 35: Arsenopyrite|first =R. J.|last = King|year = 2002|doi = 10.1046/j.1365-2451.2002.t01-1-00006.x}}</ref>--> ([[iron|Fe]]As[[sulfur|S]]), which is structurally related to [[iron pyrite]]. Many minor As-containing minerals are known. Arsenic also occurs in various organic forms in the environment.<ref name="geosphere">{{cite journal|journal = The Science of the Total Environment|volume = 249|date = 2000|pages = 297–312| doi = 10.1016/S0048-9697(99)00524-0|title = Arsenic in the geosphere – a review|first = Jörg|last = Matschullat|pmid = 10813460|issue = 1–3|bibcode = 2000ScTEn.249..297M}}</ref>

[[File:World Arsenic Production 2006.svg|thumb|upright=1.15|Arsenic output in 2006<ref name="USGSCS2006">{{cite web|url =http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/arsenic/mcs-2008-arsen.pdf|first = William E.|last = Brooks| publisher = United States Geological Survey|access-date = 2008-11-25 |title = Mineral Commodity Summaries 2007: Arsenic| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081217031511/http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/arsenic/mcs-2008-arsen.pdf| archive-date= 17 December 2008|url-status = live}}</ref>]]

In 2014, China was the top producer of white arsenic with almost 70% world share, followed by Morocco, Russia, and Belgium, according to the [[British Geological Survey]] and the [[United States Geological Survey]].<ref name="USGSCS2016" /> Most arsenic refinement operations in the US and Europe have closed over environmental concerns. Arsenic is found in the smelter dust from copper, gold, and lead smelters, and is recovered primarily from copper refinement dust.<ref name="USGSYB2007" /> Arsenic is the main impurity found in copper concentrates to enter [[copper smelting]] facilities.<ref name=sona>{{Cite report |title=Fundiciones de Cobre en Chile |date=2015-06-10 |url=https://www.sonami.cl/v2/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FCM-20150610-Com-Miner%C3%ADa-y-Energia-Senado-Fundiciones.pdf |last=Costabal M. |first=Francisco |access-date=2025-03-23 |publisher=[[SONAMI]] |language=es}}</ref> There has been an increase in arsenic in copper concentrates over the years since copper mining has moved into deep high-impurity [[ore]]s as shallow, low-arsenic copper deposits have been progressively depleted.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arsénico y Minería |url=https://www.ecometales.cl/difusion/arsenico/arsenico-y-mineria |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=ecometales.cl |language=es |quote=Hoy se extrae más arsénico que antes debido al agotamiento de los minerales de más alta ley de cobre y sin impurezas, lo que obliga a explotar yacimientos de mayor profundidad con más arsénico.|trans-quote=More arsenic is being mined today than before due to the depletion of higher-grade copper ores without impurities, which requires the exploitation of deeper deposits with more arsenic.}}</ref>

On [[Roasting (metallurgy)|roasting]] arsenopyrite in air, arsenic sublimes as arsenic(III) oxide leaving iron oxides,<ref name="geosphere" /> while roasting without air results in the production of gray arsenic. Further purification from sulfur and other chalcogens is achieved by [[Sublimation (phase transition)|sublimation]] in vacuum, in a hydrogen atmosphere, or by distillation from molten lead-arsenic mixture.<ref>{{cite journal|title = Separation of Sulfur, Selenium, and Tellurium from Arsenic|journal = Journal of the Electrochemical Society|volume = 107|issue = 12|pages = 982–985|date = 1960|first1 = J. M.|last1 = Whelan|doi = 10.1149/1.2427585|last2 = Struthers|first2 = J. D.|last3 = Ditzenberger|first3 = J. A.|doi-access = free}}</ref><!-- 10.1023/A:1012370808738-->

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Rank !! Country !! 2014 [[Arsenic trioxide|As<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>]] Production<ref name="USGSCS2016">{{cite web|url =http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/arsenic/mcs-2016-arsen.pdf|first = Daniel L.|last = Edelstein |publisher = United States Geological Survey|access-date = 2016-07-01 |title = Mineral Commodity Summaries 2016: Arsenic}}</ref>
|-
| 1 || {{CHN}} || 25,000 T
|-
| 2 || {{MAR}} || 8,800 T
|-
| 3 || {{RUS}} || 1,500 T
|-
| 4 || {{BEL}} || 1,000 T
|-
| 5 || {{BOL}} || 52 T
|-
| 6 || {{JAP}} || 45 T
|-
| — || '''World Total (rounded)''' || '''36,400 T'''
|}