Element 33 · Metalloid
Arsenic
Arsenic is famous as a poison — and is a key dopant in semiconductor manufacturing.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
As
ATOMIC NO.
33
ATOMIC WEIGHT
74.922
CATEGORY
Metalloid
PERIOD
Period 4
GROUP
Group 15
History
Arsenic has been known since ancient times as a poison; Albertus Magnus is credited with isolating it around 1250 AD. For centuries it was the preferred poison of rulers and assassins — it was undetectable until the Marsh test was developed in 1836. In the 19th century, arsenic-based pigments such as Scheele’s Green were widely used in wallpapers and fabrics, causing illness in damp rooms. Arsenic was used medicinally to treat syphilis (Salvarsan, developed 1909) before modern antibiotics.
Uses Today
Arsenic’s main current uses are in wood preservatives (chromated copper arsenate for outdoor timber), herbicides, semiconductors (gallium arsenide — GaAs — in LEDs, solar cells, and high-frequency electronics), glass production (as a decolouriser and fining agent), and in targeted cancer therapy (arsenic trioxide treats acute promyelocytic leukaemia).
Why We Don't Buy It
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Arsenic:
Arsenic is classified as a Group 1 human carcinogen and is subject to strict environmental and occupational health regulations. Arsenic-containing scrap materials require specialist hazardous waste handling and cannot be processed at a standard scrap yard. Any arsenic-contaminated material would require disposal through licensed hazardous waste contractors.
Value & Pricing
Arsenic trioxide (the main commercial form) trades at approximately £0.80–2.50/kg. It is largely a byproduct of non-ferrous smelting with demand often below supply. Not a standard scrap commodity.