Voltammetric determination of inorganic arsenic

•Evaluation of the state of voltammetric determination of inorganic arsenic.•Quantitative comparison of different types of sensing materials.•Efficiency of nanomaterials on voltammetric determination of inorganic arsenic.•Identification of limitations in voltammetric determination of inorganic arsenic.•Outlook on the determination of arsenic in the future.

Arsenic is a notorious poison and one of the world's greatest environmental hazards. Electrochemical techniques hold great promise for detecting or monitoring arsenic because they are highly sensitive, easy to perform, and low cost. We present and discuss the voltammetric determination of inorganic arsenic. In combination with an effective preconcentration (or deposition) step, voltammetry, as one of the most powerful techniques in electroanalysis, achieves the sensitive measurement of trace arsenic. On the basis of organic and biological molecules and inorganic nanomaterials, such as As(III)-specific ligands, enzymes, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and nanoparticles of noble metals (gold, silver and platinum), we comprehensively review electrochemical voltammetry for the detection of inorganic arsenic [As(III) and As(V)]. Also, we show how potential obstacles are overcome using chemically-modified electrodes. Finally, we cover future development and applications based on electrochemical techniques.