Name:Roxarsone 

Synonyms: 3-Nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid; 4-Hydroxy-3-nitrobenzenearsonic acid

 

Molecular Structure  

 

Molecular Formula: C₆H₆AsNO₆

Molecular Weight: 263.04

CAS Registry Number: 121-19-7

EINECS: 204-453-7

4-Hydroxy-3-nitrobenzenearsonic acid is an organic compound that is widely used as a food additive for chickens. The molecule is a derivative of phenylarsonic acid (C6H5As(O)(OH)2). This organoarsenic compound, usually under the tradename Roxarsone, has attracted attention as a source of arsenic contamination of the food chain. Approximately 1M kilograms of this compound was produced in 2006 in the US. This compound was first reported in a 1923 British patent which describes the nitration and diazotization of arsanilic acid.