Abstract: Arsenic, a kind of trace elements, is widely distributed in nature. Excessive arsenic intake can lead to acute poisoning and even to death, which should arouse the society’s enough attention and awareness. The toxicity of arsenic compounds is mainly determined by its chemical speciation, and the toxicity of arsenic in different speciation varies greatly. It is essential for the development of modern analytical techniques that selecting the appropriate, simple and rapid determination method. Some common methods for the determination of arsenic and its speciation were reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of various detection methods were analyzed. The article prospected the research on detection technique of arsenic and its speciation.