In chemistry, an
arsenite is a chemical compound containing an
arsenic oxoanion where arsenic has oxidation state +3. Note that in fields that commonly deal with groundwater chemistry,
arsenite is used generically to identify soluble As
III anions. IUPAC have recommended that arsenite compounds are to be named as arsenate(III), for example ortho-arsenatite is called trioxidoarsenate(III). Ortho-arsenite contrasts to the corresponding anions of the lighter members of group 15,
phosphite which has the structure HPO
32- and
nitrite, NO
2- which is bent.