Arsenic detoxification: How bacteria and minerals work together

A study has uncovered a novel approach to detoxifying toxic arsenic in contaminated soils, offering hope for tackling one of the world's most pressing environmental health challenges. The research shows that the interaction between arsenic-oxidizing bacteria and goethite, a common Fe mineral, significantly accelerates the conversion of arsenic from its highly toxic form, arsenite [As(III)], into the less harmful arsenate [As(V)].