Specifications: Antimony Antimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb (Latin: stibium, meaning "mark") and atomic number 51. A metalloid, antimony has four allotropic forms. The stable form of antimony is a blue-white metalloid. Yellow and black antimony are unstable non-metals. Antimony is used in flame-proofing, paints, ceramics, enamels, a wide variety of alloys, electronics, and rubber.
Little antimony is currently mined in the United States. It is brought into this country from other countries for processing. However, there are companies in the United States that produce antimony as a by-product of smelting lead and other metals.
Antimony isn't used alone because it breaks easily, but when mixed into alloys, it is used in lead storage batteries, solder, sheet and pipe metal, bearings, castings, and pewter. Antimony oxide is added to textiles and plastics to prevent them from catching fire. It is also used in paints, ceramics, and fireworks, and as enamels for plastics, metal, and glass.
What happens to antimony when it enters the environment?
* Antimony is released to the environment from natural sources and from industry.
* In the air, antimony is attached to very small particles that may stay in the air for many days.
* Most antimony ends up in soil, where it attaches strongly to particles that contain iron, manganese, or aluminum.
* Antimony is found at low levels in some rivers, lakes, and streams.
How might I be exposed to antimony?
* Because antimony is found naturally in the environment, the general population is exposed to low levels of it every day, primarily in food, drinking water, and air.
* It may be found in air near industries that process or release it, such as smelters, coal-fired plants, and refuse incinerators.
* In polluted areas containing high levels of antimony, it may be found in the air, water, and soil.
* Workers in industries that process it or use antimony ore may be exposed to higher levels.
How can antimony affect my health?
Exposure to antimony at high levels can result in a variety of adverse health effects.
Breathing high levels for a long time can irritate your eyes and lungs and can cause heart and lung problems, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach ulcers.
In short-term studies, animals that breathed very high levels of antimony died. Animals that breathed high levels had lung, heart, liver, and kidney damage. In long-term studies, animals that breathed very low levels of antimony had eye irritation, hair loss, lung damage, and heart problems. Problems with fertility were also noted. In animal studies, problems with fertility have been seen when rats breathed very high levels of antimony for a few months.
Ingesting large doses of antimony can cause vomiting. We don't know what other effects may be caused by ingesting it. Long-term animal studies have reported liver damage and blood changes when animals ingested antimony. Antimony can irritate the skin if it is left on it.
Antimony can have beneficial effects when used for medical reasons. It has been used as a medicine to treat people infected with parasites.
