Identification of arsenobetaine, a water soluble organo-arsenic compound in muscle and liver of a shark, Prionace glaucus.

Abstract

Arsenic compounds have been recognized as potential poisons. It is well known that arsenic is widely distributed in the biosphere and, especially, marine animals and plants accu mulate arsenic much more than terrestrial organisms. Therefore, for those people where fish and seaweed constitute a major part of the diet, e.g., Japanese, the amount of arsenic taken is a serious problem.1,2) In our previous