Arsenic – the well-known poison

Arsenic is probably the most well-known poison, and it is associated with equally famous names, from Napoleon Bonaparte (did his arsenic green wallpaper really kill him?) to the famous race horse Phar Lap (was he deliberately poisoned).

Professor Allan Blackman from AUT explores arsenic, and finds out that for a few animals, at least, it may actually be a vital trace element.

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Find out more about events during the United Nation’s International Year of the Periodic Table.

Nights with Bryan Crump is also celebrating the chemical elements with its Friday night Sonic Tonic and Element of the Week.

Professor Allan Blackman is at Auckland University of Technology.