Transformation of phenylarsenic chemical warfare agents and their effect on bacterial communities in Baltic Sea sediment.

During the World Wars large quantities of phenylarsenic chemical warfare agents (CWAs) were dumped in the Baltic Sea. Many transformation products of these chemicals have been identified, but the pathways that produce the found chemicals has not been investigated. Here we studied the biotic and abiotic transformation of phenylarsenic CWAs under oxic and anoxic conditions and investigated how the sediment bacterial communities are affected by CWA exposure.