View source for Arsine

{{short description|Chemical compound}}
{{Distinguish|arcsine|Ursine (disambiguation){{!}}ursine}}
{{Chembox
| Verifiedfields = changed
| Watchedfields = changed
| verifiedrevid = 443471219
| Name = Arsine
| ImageFile = Arsine.svg
| ImageSize = 130px
| ImageName = Skeletal formula of arsine
| ImageFileL1 = Arsine-3D-balls.png
| ImageSizeL1 = 120px
| ImageNameL1 = Ball-and-stick model of arsine
| ImageFileR1 = Arsine-3D-vdW.png
| ImageSizeR1 = 100px
| ImageNameR1 = Spacefill model of arsine
| ImageCaptionR1 = {{legend|#BD80E3|Arsenic, As}}{{legend|white|Hydrogen, H}}
| IUPACName = Arsenic trihydride<br/>Arsane<br/>Trihydridoarsenic
| OtherNames = Arseniuretted hydrogen,<br/>Arsenous hydride,<br/>Hydrogen arsenide<br/>Arsenic hydride
|Section1={{Chembox Identifiers
| ChemSpiderID_Ref = {{chemspidercite|correct|chemspider}}
| ChemSpiderID = 22408
| InChI = 1/AsH3/h1H3
| ChEBI_Ref = {{ebicite|correct|EBI}}
| ChEBI = 47217
| ChEMBL = 1231052
| KEGG = C06269
| RTECS = CG6475000
| UNNumber = 2188
| SMILES = [AsH3]
| InChIKey = RBFQJDQYXXHULB-UHFFFAOYAH
| StdInChI_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}}
| StdInChI = 1S/AsH3/h1H3
| StdInChIKey_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}}
| StdInChIKey = RBFQJDQYXXHULB-UHFFFAOYSA-N
| CASNo = 7784-42-1
| CASNo_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}
| UNII_Ref = {{fdacite|correct|FDA}}
| UNII = V1I29R0RJQ
| EINECS = 232-066-3
| PubChem = 23969
| Gmelin = 599
  }}
|Section2={{Chembox Properties
| Formula = AsH<sub>3</sub>
| MolarMass = 77.9454{{nbsp}}g/mol
| Appearance = Colourless gas
| Odor = Faint, garlic-like
| Density = 4.93{{nbsp}}g/L, gas; 1.640{{nbsp}}g/mL (−64&nbsp;°C)
| Solubility = 0.2{{nbsp}}g/100{{nbsp}}mL (20&nbsp;°C)<ref name=PGCH/><br>0.07{{nbsp}}g/100{{nbsp}}mL (25&nbsp;°C)
| SolubleOther = soluble in [[chloroform]], [[benzene]]
| MeltingPtC = −111.2
| BoilingPtC = −62.5
| ConjugateAcid = [[Arsonium]]
| pKb =
| VaporPressure = 14.9{{nbsp}}atm<ref name=PGCH/>
  }}
|Section3={{Chembox Structure
| MolShape = Trigonal pyramidal
| Dipole = 0.20{{nbsp}}[[Debye|D]]
  }}
|Section4={{Chembox Thermochemistry
| DeltaHf = +66.4{{nbsp}}kJ/mol<!--Wiberg, also Greenwood and Earn-->
| Entropy = 223{{nbsp}}J⋅K{{sup|−1}}⋅mol{{sup|−1}}
  }}
|Section7={{Chembox Hazards
| NFPA-H = 4
| NFPA-F = 4
| NFPA-R = 2
| GHSPictograms = {{GHS02}}{{GHS06}}{{GHS08}}{{GHS09}}
| GHSSignalWord = Danger
| HPhrases = {{H-phrases|220|330|373|410}}
| PPhrases = {{P-phrases|210|260|271|273|284|304+340|310|314|320|377|381|391|403|403+233|405|501}}
| FlashPtC = −62
| AutoignitionPtC =
| LD50 = 2.5{{nbsp}}mg/kg (intravenous)<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Toxicity of Arsine Administered by Intraperitoneal Injection |journal=British Journal of Pharmacology and Chemotherapy |last=Levvy |first=G.A. |date=1946 |doi=10.1111/j.1476-5381.1946.tb00049.x |pmid=19108099 |volume=1 |issue = 4|pages=287–290| pmc=1509744}}</ref>
| PEL = TWA 0.05{{nbsp}}ppm (0.2{{nbsp}}mg/m<sup>3</sup>)<ref name=PGCH>{{PGCH|0040}}</ref>
| ExploLimits = 5.1–78%<ref name=PGCH/>
| MainHazards = Extremely toxic, explosive, flammable, potential occupational carcinogen<ref name=PGCH/>
| REL = C 0.002{{nbsp}}mg/m<sup>3</sup> [15-minute]<ref name=PGCH/>
| IDLH = 3{{nbsp}}ppm<ref name=PGCH/>
| LC50 = {{Unbulleted list
 | 120{{nbsp}}ppm (rat, 10{{nbsp}}min)
 | 77{{nbsp}}ppm (mouse, 10{{nbsp}}min)
 | 201{{nbsp}}ppm (rabbit, 10{{nbsp}}min)
 | 108{{nbsp}}ppm (dog, 10{{nbsp}}min)<ref name=IDLH/>
 }}
| LCLo = {{Unbulleted list
 | 250{{nbsp}}ppm (human, 30{{nbsp}}min)
 | 300{{nbsp}}ppm (human, 5{{nbsp}}min)
 | 25{{nbsp}}ppm (human, 30{{nbsp}}min)<ref name=IDLH/>
 }}
  }}
|Section8={{Chembox Related
| OtherFunction_label = [[hydride]]s
| OtherFunction = [[Ammonia]]<br/>[[Phosphine]]<br/>[[Stibine]]<br/>[[Bismuthine]]
| OtherCompounds = [[Hydrogen selenide]]
   }}
}}

'''Arsine''' ([[IUPAC]] name: '''arsane''') is an [[inorganic compound]] with the [[Chemical formula|formula]] [[arsenic|As]][[hydrogen|H]]<sub>3</sub>. This flammable, [[pyrophoric]], and highly toxic [[pnictogen hydride]] gas is one of the simplest compounds of [[arsenic]].<ref name="Holleman"/> Despite its lethality, it finds some applications in the semiconductor industry and for the synthesis of organoarsenic compounds. The term ''arsine'' is commonly used to describe a class of [[organoarsenic chemistry|organoarsenic]] compounds of the formula AsH<sub>3−''x''</sub>R<sub>''x''</sub>, where R = [[Aryl group|aryl]] or [[Alkyl group|alkyl]]. For example, As(C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>5</sub>)<sub>3</sub>, called [[triphenylarsine]], is referred to as "an arsine".

==General properties==
In its standard state arsine is a colorless, denser-than-air gas that is slightly soluble in [[water (molecule)|water]] (2% at 20&nbsp;°C)<ref name=PGCH/> and in many [[organic solvent]]s as well.{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}} Arsine itself is odorless,<ref name="chemagents">{{cite book|last1=Greaves|first1=Ian|last2=Hunt|first2=Paul|chapter=Ch. 5 Chemical Agents|year=2010|pages=233–344|title=Responding to Terrorism. A Medical Handbook|isbn=978-0-08-045043-8|publisher=Elsevier|doi=10.1016/B978-0-08-045043-8.00005-2|quote=While arsine itself is odourless, its oxidation by air may produce a slight, garlic-like scent. However, it is lethal in concentrations far lower than those required to produce this smell.}}</ref> but it oxidizes in air and this creates a slight [[garlic]] or fish-like scent when the compound is present above 0.5{{nbsp}}[[parts per million|ppm]].<ref name="ATSDR">{{cite web|url=http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/MMG/MMG.asp?id=1199&tid=278 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124020653/http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/MMG/MMG.asp?id=1199&tid=278 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 24, 2012 |title=Medical Management Guidelines for Arsine (AsH<sub>3</sub>) |publisher=Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry}}</ref> This compound is kinetically stable: at room temperature it decomposes only slowly. At temperatures of ca. 230&nbsp;°C, decomposition to arsenic and hydrogen is sufficiently rapid to be the basis of the [[Marsh test]] for arsenic presence. Similar to [[stibine]], the decomposition of arsine is autocatalytic, as the arsenic freed during the reaction acts as a catalyst for the same reaction.<ref name="Hartman">{{cite book|last=Hartman|first=Robert James|title=Colloid Chemistry|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company|year=1947|editor-last=Briscoe|editor-first=Herman Thompson|edition=2|pages=124}}</ref> Several other factors, such as [[humidity]], presence of light and certain [[catalyst]]s (namely [[alumina]]) facilitate the rate of decomposition.<ref name="INRS">{{cite report |author= Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité |title= Fiche toxicologique nº 53: Trihydrure d'arsenic |date= 2000 |url= http://www.inrs.fr/inrs-pub/inrs01.nsf/IntranetObject-accesParReference/FT%2053/$File/ft53.pdf |access-date= 2006-09-06 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061126045357/http://www.inrs.fr/inrs-pub/inrs01.nsf/IntranetObject-accesParReference/FT%2053/$FILE/ft53.pdf |archive-date= 2006-11-26 |url-status = dead |language=fr}}</ref>

AsH<sub>3</sub> is a [[trigonal pyramidal molecular geometry|trigonal pyramidal]] molecule with H–As–H angles of 91.8° and three equivalent As–H bonds, each of 1.519 [[Ångström|Å]] length.<ref>{{cite journal
| journal= The Journal of Chemical Physics
| issue= 12
| volume= 20
| date= 1952
| pages= 1955–1956
| doi= 10.1063/1.1700347
| title= The Molecular Structure of Arsine
| last= Nielsen |first=H. H.
| bibcode= 1952JChPh..20.1955N
}}</ref>

==Discovery and synthesis==
AsH<sub>3</sub> is generally prepared by the reaction of As<sup>3+</sup> sources with H<sup>−</sup> equivalents.<ref name="Bellama">{{cite journal|last1=Bellama |first1=J. M. |last2=MacDiarmid |first2=A. G. |title=Synthesis of the Hydrides of Germanium, Phosphorus, Arsenic, and Antimony by the Solid-Phase Reaction of the Corresponding Oxide with Lithium Aluminum Hydride|journal=Inorganic Chemistry|date=1968|volume= 7 |pages= 2070–2|doi=10.1021/ic50068a024|issue=10}}</ref>
::4 AsCl<sub>3</sub> + 3 NaBH<sub>4</sub> → 4 AsH<sub>3</sub> + 3 NaCl + 3 BCl<sub>3</sub>
As reported in 1775, [[Carl Scheele]] reduced [[arsenic(III) oxide]] with zinc in the presence of acid.<ref>Scheele, Carl Wilhelm (1775) [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015039452928;view=1up;seq=293 "Om Arsenik och dess syra"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105084518/http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015039452928;view=1up;seq=293 |date=2016-01-05 }} (On arsenic and its acid), ''Kongliga Vetenskaps Academiens Handlingar'' (Proceedings of the Royal Scientific Academy [of Sweden]), '''36''': 263-294. From p. 290: ''"Med Zinck. 30. (a) Denna år den endaste af alla så hela som halfva Metaller, som i digestion met Arsenik-syra effervescerar."'' (With zinc. 30. (a) This is the only [metal] of all whole- as well as semi-metals that effervesces on digestion with arsenic acid.) Scheele collected the arsine and put a mixture of arsine and air into a cylinder. From p. 291: ''"3:0, Då et tåndt ljus kom når o̊pningen, tåndes luften i kolfven med en småll, lågan for mot handen, denna blef o̊fvedragen med brun fårg, ... "'' (3:0, Then as [the] lit candle came near the opening [of the cylinder], the gases in [the] cylinder ignited with a bang; [the] flame [rushed] towards my hand, which became coated with [a] brown color, ... )</ref> This reaction is a prelude to the [[Marsh test]].

Alternatively, sources of As<sup>3−</sup> react with protonic reagents to also produce this gas. Zinc arsenide and [[sodium arsenide]] are suitable precursors:<ref>"Arsine" in ''Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry'', 2nd ed., G. Brauer (ed.), Academic Press, 1963, NY, Vol. 1. p. 493.</ref>
::Zn<sub>3</sub>As<sub>2</sub> + 6 H<sup>+</sup> → 2 AsH<sub>3</sub> + 3 Zn<sup>2+</sup>
::Na<sub>3</sub>As + 3 HBr → AsH<sub>3</sub> + 3 NaBr

==Reactions==
The understanding of the chemical properties of AsH<sub>3</sub> is well developed and can be anticipated based on an average of the behavior of [[pnictogen]] counterparts, such as  [[phosphine|PH<sub>3</sub>]] and [[stibine|SbH<sub>3</sub>]].

===Thermal decomposition===
Typical for a heavy hydride (e.g., [[stibine|{{chem2|SbH3}}]], {{chem2|H2Te}}, {{chem2|SnH4}}), {{chem2|AsH3}} is unstable with respect to its elements. In other words, it is stable kinetically but not thermodynamically.
::{{chem2|2AsH3 -> 3H2 + 2As}}

This decomposition reaction is the basis of the Marsh test, which detects elemental As.

===Oxidation===
Continuing the analogy to SbH<sub>3</sub>, AsH<sub>3</sub> is readily [[oxidation|oxidized]] by concentrated O<sub>2</sub> or the dilute O<sub>2</sub> concentration in air:
::2 AsH<sub>3</sub> + 3 O<sub>2</sub> → As<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> + 3 H<sub>2</sub>O

Arsine will react violently in presence of strong oxidizing agents, such as [[potassium permanganate]], [[sodium hypochlorite]], or [[nitric acid]].<ref name="INRS"/>

===Precursor to metallic derivatives===
AsH<sub>3</sub> is used as a precursor to metal complexes of "naked" (or "nearly naked") arsenic. An example is the dimanganese species [(C<sub>5</sub>H<sub>5</sub>)Mn(CO)<sub>2</sub>]<sub>2</sub>AsH, wherein the Mn<sub>2</sub>AsH core is planar.<ref name="Herrmann">{{cite journal|last1=Herrmann |first1=W. A. |last2=Koumbouris |first2=B. |last3=Schaefer |first3=A. |last4=Zahn |first4=T. |last5=Ziegler |first5=M. L. |title=Generation and Complex Stabilization of Arsinidene and Diarsine Fragments by Metal-Induced Degradation of Monoarsine|journal=Chemische Berichte|date=1985|volume= 118 |pages= 2472–88|doi=10.1002/cber.19851180624|issue=6}}</ref>

===Gutzeit test===
A characteristic test for arsenic involves the reaction of AsH<sub>3</sub> with Ag<sup>+</sup>, called the Gutzeit test for arsenic.<ref name="King">King, E. J. (1959) ''Qualitative Analysis and Electrolytic Solutions'' Harcourt, Brace, and World; New York</ref> Although this test has become obsolete in [[analytical chemistry]], the underlying reactions further illustrate the affinity of AsH<sub>3</sub> for "soft" metal cations. In the Gutzeit test, AsH<sub>3</sub> is generated by reduction of aqueous arsenic compounds, typically [[arsenite]]s, with Zn in the presence of H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>. The evolved gaseous AsH<sub>3</sub> is then exposed to AgNO<sub>3</sub> either as powder or as a solution. With solid AgNO<sub>3</sub>, AsH<sub>3</sub> reacts to produce yellow Ag<sub>4</sub>AsNO<sub>3</sub>, whereas AsH<sub>3</sub> reacts with a solution of AgNO<sub>3</sub> to give black Ag<sub>3</sub>As.

===Acid-base reactions===
The acidic properties of the As–H bond are often exploited. Thus, AsH<sub>3</sub> can be deprotonated:
::AsH<sub>3</sub> + NaNH<sub>2</sub> → NaAsH<sub>2</sub> + NH<sub>3</sub>

Upon reaction with the aluminium trialkyls, AsH<sub>3</sub> gives the trimeric [R<sub>2</sub>AlAsH<sub>2</sub>]<sub>3</sub>, where R = (CH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>C.<ref name="Atwood">{{cite journal|author1=Atwood, D. A. |author2=Cowley, A. H. |author3=Harris, P. R. |author4=Jones, R. A. |author5=Koschmieder, S. U. |author6=Nunn, C. M. |author7=Atwood, J. L. |author8=Bott, S. G. |title=Cyclic Trimeric Hydroxy, Amido, Phosphido, and Arsenido Derivatives of aluminum and gallium. X-ray Structures of [tert-Bu<sub>2</sub>Ga(m-OH)]<sub>3</sub> and [tert-Bu<sub>2</sub>Ga(m-NH<sub>2</sub>)]<sub>3</sub>|journal=Organometallics|date=1993|volume=12 |pages= 24–29|doi=10.1021/om00025a010}}</ref> This reaction is relevant to the mechanism by which GaAs forms from AsH<sub>3</sub> (see below).

AsH<sub>3</sub> is generally considered non-basic, but it can be protonated by [[superacid]]s to give isolable salts of the tetrahedral species [AsH<sub>4</sub>]<sup>+</sup>.<ref name="Minkwitz">{{cite journal|author1=R. Minkwitz, R. |author2=Kornath, A. |author3=Sawodny, W. |author4=Härtner, H. |title=Über die Darstellung der Pnikogenoniumsalze AsH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>SbF<sub>6</sub><sup>−</sup>, AsH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>AsF<sub>6</sub><sup>−</sup>, SbH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>SbF<sub>6</sub><sup>−</sup>|journal=Zeitschrift für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie|volume= 620 |pages= 753–756|doi=10.1002/zaac.19946200429|date=1994|issue=4|language=de}}</ref>

===Reaction with halogen compounds===
Reactions of arsine with the [[halogen]]s ([[fluorine]] and [[chlorine]]) or some of their compounds, such as [[nitrogen trichloride]], are extremely dangerous and can result in explosions.<ref name="INRS"/>

===Catenation===
In contrast to the behavior of PH<sub>3</sub>, AsH<sub>3</sub> does not form stable chains, although diarsine (or diarsane) H<sub>2</sub>As–AsH<sub>2</sub>, and even triarsane H<sub>2</sub>As–As(H)–AsH<sub>2</sub> have been detected. The diarsine is unstable above −100&nbsp;°C.

==Applications==

===Microelectronics applications===
AsH<sub>3</sub> is used in the synthesis of semiconducting materials related to [[microelectronics]] and [[solid-state laser]]s. Related to [[phosphorus]], arsenic is an [[doping (semiconductors)|n-dopant]] for silicon and germanium.<ref name="INRS"/> More importantly, AsH<sub>3</sub> is used to make the [[semiconductor]] [[gallium arsenide|GaAs]] by [[chemical vapor deposition|chemical vapor deposition (CVD)]] at 700–900&nbsp;°C:
::Ga(CH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub> + AsH<sub>3</sub> → GaAs + 3 CH<sub>4</sub>

For microelectronic applications, arsine can be provided by a sub-atmospheric gas source (a source that supplies less than atmospheric pressure). In this type of gas package, the arsine is adsorbed on a solid microporous adsorbent inside a gas cylinder. This method allows the gas to be stored without pressure, significantly reducing the risk of an arsine gas leak from the cylinder. With this apparatus, arsine is obtained by applying vacuum to the gas cylinder valve outlet. For [[semiconductor manufacturing]], this method is feasible, as processes such as ion implantation operate under high vacuum.

===Chemical warfare===
Since before [[World War II|WWII]] AsH<sub>3</sub> was proposed as a possible [[chemical warfare]] weapon. The gas is colorless, almost odorless, and 2.5 times denser than air, as required for a blanketing effect sought in chemical warfare. It is also lethal in concentrations far lower than those required to smell its [[garlic]]-like scent. In spite of these characteristics, arsine was never officially used as a weapon, because of its high flammability and its lower efficacy when compared to the non-flammable alternative [[phosgene]]. On the other hand, several [[organic compound]]s based on arsine, such as [[lewisite]] (β-chlorovinyldichloroarsine), [[adamsite]] (diphenylaminechloroarsine), [[diphenylchlorarsine|Clark 1]] ([[diphenylchloroarsine]]) and Clark 2 ([[diphenylcyanoarsine]]) have been effectively developed for use in chemical warfare.<ref name="Suchard">{{cite journal |last= Suchard |first= Jeffrey R. |title= CBRNE — Arsenicals, Arsine |journal= EMedicine |date= March 2006 |url= http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic920.htm |access-date= 2006-09-05 |archive-date= 2006-06-23 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060623182153/http://emedicine.com/emerg/topic920.htm |url-status= live }}</ref>

==Forensic science and the Marsh test==
{{main|Marsh test}}
AsH<sub>3</sub> is well known in [[forensic science]] because it is a chemical intermediate in the detection of arsenic poisoning. The old (but extremely sensitive) [[Marsh test]] generates AsH<sub>3</sub> in the presence of arsenic.<ref name="Holleman">Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. (2001) ''Inorganic Chemistry'' Academic Press: San Diego, {{ISBN|0-12-352651-5}}.</ref> This procedure, published in 1836 by [[James Marsh (chemist)|James Marsh]],<ref>{{cite journal
 |last= Marsh |first=James
 |title= Account of a method of separating small quantities of arsenic from substances with which it may be mixed
 |journal= Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal
 |volume= 21
 |date= 1836
 |pages= 229–236
 |url= https://archive.org/stream/edinburghnewphil21edin#page/228/mode/2up
}}</ref> is based upon treating an As-containing sample of a victim's body (typically the stomach contents) with As-free [[zinc]] and dilute [[sulfuric acid]]: if the sample contains arsenic, gaseous arsine will form. The gas is swept into a glass tube and decomposed by means of heating around 250–300&nbsp;°C. The presence of As is indicated by formation of a deposit in the heated part of the equipment. On the other hand, the appearance of a black mirror deposit in the ''cool'' part of the equipment indicates the presence of antimony (the highly unstable [[stibine|SbH<sub>3</sub>]] decomposes even at low temperatures).

The Marsh test was widely used by the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th; nowadays more sophisticated techniques such as [[atomic spectroscopy]], [[inductively coupled plasma]], and [[x-ray fluorescence]] analysis are employed in the forensic field. Though [[neutron activation]] analysis was used to detect trace levels of arsenic in the mid 20th century, it has since fallen out of use in modern forensics.

==Toxicology==
{{for|the toxicology of other arsenic compounds|Arsenic|Arsenic trioxide|Arsenic poisoning}}

The toxicity of arsine is distinct from that of other arsenic compounds. The main route of exposure is by inhalation, although poisoning after skin contact has also been described. Arsine attacks [[hemoglobin]] in the [[red blood cell]]s, causing them to be destroyed by the body.<ref>{{cite journal
| journal= New England Journal of Medicine
| volume= 300
| date= 1974
| pages= 1171–1174
| title= Arsine poisoning
|author1=Fowler B. A. |author2=Weissberg J. B. |doi= 10.1056/NEJM197411282912207
| pmid= 4608634
| issue= 22}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
| journal= Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A
| issue= 2
| volume= 47
| date= 1996
| pages= 145–157
| doi= 10.1080/009841096161852
| pmid= 8598571
| title= Reactions of Arsine with Hemoglobine
| author= Hatlelid K. M.
| bibcode= 1996JTEHA..47..145H
}}</ref>

The first signs of exposure, which can take several hours to become apparent, are [[headache]]s, [[vertigo (medical)|vertigo]], and [[nausea]], followed by the symptoms of [[haemolytic anaemia]] (high levels of unconjugated [[bilirubin]]), [[haemoglobinuria]] and [[nephropathy]]. In severe cases, the damage to the [[kidney]]s can be long-lasting.<ref name=PGCH/>

Exposure to arsine concentrations of 250&nbsp;ppm is rapidly fatal: concentrations of 25&ndash;30&nbsp;ppm are fatal for 30&nbsp;min exposure, and concentrations of 10&nbsp;ppm can be fatal at longer exposure times.<ref name=IDLH>{{IDLH|7784421|Arsine}}</ref> Symptoms of poisoning appear after exposure to concentrations of 0.5&nbsp;ppm. There is little information on the chronic toxicity of arsine, although it is reasonable to assume that, in common with other arsenic compounds, a long-term exposure could lead to [[arsenicosis]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}}

Arsine can cause [[pneumonia]] in two different ways; in the first, extensive [[edema]] of the acute stage becomes diffusely infiltrated with [[leucocytes]] and the edema may become a cellular [[exudate]] over large areas of the lung, with little anatomical relationship to the [[bronchi]].  In the second, the smaller bronchi and [[bronchioles]] may become ringed with leucocytes and  their [[epithelium]] degenerated and walls penetrated, each becoming the center of a small nodule of pneumonia. Either case can result in death.<ref>{{cite web |title=Collected Studies on the Pathology of War Gas Poisoning, from the Department of Bacteriology and Pathology, Medical Science Section, Chemical Warfare Service, under the direction of M. C. Winternitz, major, M. C., U. S. A. Yale University Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4xU9AAAAYAAJ&dq=The+Chemical+Warfare+Service&pg=PR9 |access-date=28 September 2022 |website=books.google.com | year=1920 |publisher=Yale University press}}</ref> 
[[File:Pneumonia forming around bronchioles.png|thumb|Pneumonia forming]]

It is classified as an [[list of extremely hazardous substances|extremely hazardous substance]] in the United States as defined in Section 302 of the U.S. [[Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act]] (42 U.S.C. 11002), and is subject to strict reporting requirements by facilities which produce, store, or use it in significant quantities.<ref name="gov-right-know">{{cite report |publisher= [[United States Government Publishing Office|Government Printing Office]] |title= 40 C.F.R.: Appendix A to Part 355—The List of Extremely Hazardous Substances and Their Threshold Planning Quantities |url= http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/julqtr/pdf/40cfr355AppA.pdf |edition= July 1, 2008 |access-date= October 29, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120225051612/http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/julqtr/pdf/40cfr355AppA.pdf |archive-date= February 25, 2012 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

===Occupational exposure limits===

{| class="wikitable"
! Country
! Limit<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.cdc.gov/niosh-rtecs/CG62CCF8.html|title= Arsine|website= RTECS|publisher= National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)|access-date= 2017-09-08|archive-date= 2017-06-08|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170608212148/https://www.cdc.gov/niosh-rtecs/CG62CCF8.html|url-status= live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Argentina]]
| [[Threshold limit value|TLV]]-[[Permissible exposure limit|TWA]] {{val|0.005|u=ppm}}
|-
| [[Australia]]
| TWA {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.16|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Austria]]
| {{ubl
 | [[:de:Maximale Arbeitsplatz-Konzentration|MAK]]-TMW {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.2|u=mg/m3}})
 | KZW {{val|0.25|u=ppm}} ({{val|1|u=mg/m3}})
 }}
|-
| [[Belgium]]
| TWA {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.16|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Bulgaria]]
| TLV-TWA {{val|0.005|u=ppm}}
|-
| [[British Columbia, Canada]]
| TLV-TWA {{val|0.005|u=ppm}}
|-
| [[Colombia]]
| TLV-TWA {{val|0.005|u=ppm}}
|-
| [[Denmark]]
| TWA {{val|0.01|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.03|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Egypt]]
| TWA {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.2|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Finland]]
| TWA {{val|0.01|u=mg(As)|up=m3}}
|-
| [[France]]
| {{ubl
 | [[:fr:Valeur Moyenne d'Exposition|VME]] {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.2|u=mg/m3}})
 | [[:fr:Valeur Limite d'Exposition|VLE]] {{val|0.2|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.8|u=mg/m3}})
 }}
|-
| [[Hungary]]
| {{ubl
 | TWA {{val|0.2|u=mg/m3}}
 | STEL {{val|0.8|u=mg/m3}}
 }}
|-
| [[Japan]]
| {{ubl
 | Occupational exposure limit {{val|0.01|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.32|u=mg/m3}})
 | Ceiling {{val|0.1|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.32|u=mg/m3}})
 }}
|-
| [[Jordan]]
| TLV-TWA {{val|0.005|u=ppm}}
|- 
| [[Mexico]]
| TWA {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.2|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Netherlands]]
| MAC-TCG {{val|0.2|u=mg/m3}}
|-
| [[New Zealand]]
| {{ubl
 | TWA {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.16|u=mg/m3}})
 | TWA {{val|0.05|u=mg(As)|up=m3}} (Carcinogen)
 }}
|-
| [[Norway]]
| TWA {{val|0.003|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.01|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Peru]]
| TWA {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.16|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Philippines]]
| {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.5|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Poland]]
| {{ubl
 | MAC (TWA) ({{val|0.2|u=mg/m3}})
 | MAC (STEL) ({{val|0.6|u=mg/m3}})
 }}
|-
| [[Russia]]
| STEL ({{val|0.1|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Singapore]]
| TLV-TWA {{val|0.005|u=ppm}}
|-
| [[South Korea]]
| TWA {{val|0.2|u=mg(As)|up=m3}}
|-
| [[Sweden]]
| TWA {{val|0.02|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.05|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Switzerland]]
| MAK-week {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.16|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Thailand]]
| TWA {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.2|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[Turkey]]
| TWA {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.2|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[United Kingdom]]
| TWA {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.16|u=mg/m3}})
|-
| [[United States]]
| {{ubl
 | [[ACGIH]] TLV-TWA {{val|0.005|u=ppm}}
 | [[Mine Safety and Health Administration|MSHA]] TWA {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.2|u=mg/m3}})
 | [[OSHA]] TWA (8h) {{val|0.05|u=ppm}} ({{val|0.2|u=mg/m3}})
 }}
|-
| [[Vietnam]]
| TLV-TWA {{val|0.005|u=ppm}}
|}

==See also==
*[[Cacodylic acid]]
*[[Cacodyl oxide]]
*[[Devarda's alloy]], also used to produce arsine in the lab
*[[List of highly toxic gases]]
*[[Scheele's Green]], a pigment popularly used in the early 19th century

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics0222.htm International Chemical Safety Card 0222]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051012215141/http://www-cie.iarc.fr/htdocs/monographs/suppl7/arsenic.html IARC Monograph "Arsenic and Arsenic Compounds"]
*[https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0040.html NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards]
*{{INRS|title=Trihydrure d'arsenic|number=53|year=2000}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070329210220/http://www.us.airliquide.com/en/business/products/gases/gasdata/index.asp?GasID=4 Data on arsine from Air Liquide]

{{Arsenic compounds}}
{{Arsenides}}
{{Hydrides by group}}
{{Chemical agents}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Arsenic(−III) compounds]]
[[Category:IARC Group 1 carcinogens]]
[[Category:Industrial gases]]
[[Category:Hydrides]]
[[Category:Blood agents]]
[[Category:Pyrophoric materials]]