Bunsen said of the compounds, "The smell of this body produces instantaneous tingling of the hands and feet, and even giddiness and insensibility...

It is remarkable that when one is exposed to the smell of these compounds the tongue becomes covered with a black coating, even when no further evil effects are noticeable".His work in this field led to an increased understanding of the methyl group.

Cacodylic acid and its salts were incorporated into herbicides by a large variety of manufacturers under numerous brand names.

APC Holdings Corp. sold cacodylic acid and its salts under the Phytar brand name.

The U.S. EPA states that all forms of arsenic are a serious risk to human health and the United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ranked arsenic as number 1 in its 2001 Priority List of Hazardous Substances at Superfund sites.