Abstract: Arsenic (As) is a ubiquitous chemical element in environment, and the increasingly serious As pollution is highly concerned all over the world. China
has been considered as one of the countries and regions with serious As pollution in the world by the World Health Organization (WHO). Recent studies indicated that food is one of the major contributors of As in human diets. Edible plants are essential in the diet structure in human life, which often contain high level of As. However, the total As in food can not exactly reflect the toxicity of As, while As speciation closely relates to the As bio-toxicity. Inorganic arsenic is verified as the carcinogen based on human epidemiological data. This paper reviewed the As species in edible plants, their bio-toxicity, and analytical methods.

Key words: edible plant, arsenic speciation, analytical method, biological toxicity, Phyllostachys edulis, soil respiration, soil autotrophic respiration, soil heterotrophic respiration, labile organic C.