Substance fact sheet
The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) provides information on the types and amounts of pollutants being emitted in the Australian community.
This page provides facts about antimony & compounds. It describes how you might be exposed to this substance, how exposure might effect you and the environment, common uses, comparative data about antimony & compounds and its physical and chemical properties.
For more information about some of the terms used in this page, see the NPI glossary.
The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) holds data for all sources of antimony & compounds emissions in Australia.
Antimony is a non-essential element in humans, animals and plants. Its toxicity highly depends upon chemical form and oxidation state with +III compounds exerting greater toxicity than +V compounds. Antimony compounds show toxic properties similar to those of arsenic. This depends on how much antimony a person has been exposed to, for how long, and current state of health. Exposure to high levels of antimony can result in a variety of adverse health effects. Breathing high levels for a long time can irritate eyes and lungs and can cause heart and lung problems, stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach ulcers. Ingesting large doses of antimony can cause vomiting. Antimony can irritate the skin on prolonged contact.
Antimony can have beneficial effects when used for medical reasons. It has been used as a medicine to treat people infected with tropical parasites. It is not known whether elemental antimony will cause cancer in people. Human studies are inconclusive as to its human carcinogenicity, hence antimony has not been classified. Antimony trioxide is carcinogenic in animal experiments and is regarded by the International Association for Research into Cancer (IARC) as 'possibly carcinogenic to humans'. Worksafe Australia classifies antimony as hazardous.
Antimony can be inhaled or ingested.
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. Industries such as smelters, coal-fired plants, and refuse incinerators can release it in air, resulting in higher levels of antimony in the air, water, and soil. Workers in these industries may be exposed to higher levels.
See Sources for more information.
Worksafe Australia :
The eight hour time weighted average (TWA) exposure limit is 0.5 mg/m3 (as antimony)
Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (NHMRC and ARMCANZ, 1996):
Maximum of 0.003 mg/L (i.e. 0.000003 g/L)
The Australian NOHSC National Exposure Standards Database link is probably the most useful source of information.
Note that the emissions data in the NPI database is not directly comparable with these guidelines.
Most antimony compounds show little or no tendency to accumulate in aquatic life. Some plants, mosses, lichens and fungi are able to accumulate antimony compounds.
Little information is available on the transformations and transport of antimony in various environmental media (e.g. air, water, soil). The mobility of antimony in soils is not clearly understood. Some studies indicate that antimony is highly mobile, while others conclude that it strongly adsorbs to soil. In water, it usually adheres to sediments. Most antimony compounds show little or no tendency to accumulate in aquatic life.
When released to air, antimony can attach itself to very small particles and may stay in the atmosphere for many days. It may be possible for these particles to be transported over long distances before they eventually settle. In soil, antimony is strongly attached to particles containing iron, manganese, or aluminium. Other factors influencing the strength of its adsorption are pH, organic matter content and oxidation state of the particular salt. Antimony is found at low levels in some rivers, lakes, and streams.
Australian Water Quality Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Waters: (ANZECC, 1992):
Maximum of 30 micrograms/L (i.e. 0.00003 g/L) and 500 micrograms/L (i.e. 0.0005 g/L) respectively
Note that the emissions data in the NPI database is not directly comparable with these guidelines.
Antimony is mixed into alloys and used in lead storage batteries, solder, sheet and pipe metal, motor bearings, castings, semiconductors, and pewter. Antimony oxide is added to textiles, plastics, rubber, adhesives, pigments and paper to prevent them from catching fire. It is also used in paints, ceramics, ammunition and fireworks, and as enamels for plastics, metal, and glass. Antimony compounds also find medical uses.
Antimony oxides can be released as a by-product of smelting lead and other metals (emissions to air, land or water), and coal-fired power plants (emissions to air and land).
Refuse incinerators, small industrial facilities involving lead casting etc, and burning of fossil fuels,e.g. for home heating (emissions to air and land).
Antimony ores occur naturally in the earth's crust. Volcanoes can release antimony oxides into the environment. Antimony is a common component of coal and petroleum.
Emissions result from vehicle exhaust.
Products such as plastics, textiles, rubber, adhesives, pigments and paper. Antimony alloys are found in solder, sheet, pipe, bearing and type metals, and castings.
Approximately 400 substances were considered for inclusion on the NPI reporting list. A ranking and total hazard score was given based on health and environmental hazards and human and environmental exposure to the substance.
Antimony & compounds was ranked as 84 out of 400. The total hazard score taking into account both human health and environmental criteria is 2.3.
On a health hazard rating of 0 - 3 antimony & compounds registers 1.0. A score of 3 represents a very high hazard to health, 2 represents a medium hazard and 1 is harmful to health.
On an environmental rating of 0 - 3 antimony & compounds registers 1.3. A score of 3 represents a very high hazard to the environment and 0 a negligible hazard.
Factors taken into account to obtain this ranking and these scores include the extent of the material's toxic or poisonous nature and/or its lack of toxicity, and the measure of its ability to remain active in the environment and whether it accumulates in living organisms. It does not take into account exposure to the substance. Environmental exposure is reflected in the NPI rank for this substance (see comparative data below). A substance that scores highly as an environmental hazard is oxides of nitrogen at 3.0 and one of the lower scores is carbon monoxide at 0.8. A substance that scores highly as a health hazard is arsenic at 2.3 and one of the lowest scores is ammonia at 1.0.
| Substance name | Antimony & compounds |
| CASR number | 7440-36-0 |
| Molecular formula | Sb |
| Synonyms | Stibium, Regulus of antimony, Antimony regulus, Antimony black, C.I. 77050, Antimony bar |
| Physical properties: Brittle, silvery-white metalloid with low thermal and electrical conductivity, displaying both metallic and non-metallic characteristics. Antimony may also exist as unstable yellow crystalline, or amorphous black, allotropes. Atomic Number: 51 |
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| Chemical properties: Antimony metal is stable under ordinary conditions and is not readily attacked by air or water. It reacts with strong oxidisers, acids and halogenated acids. Generally, antimony is not used alone. It can be mixed with other metals to form antimony alloys or used to form antimony compounds where antimony may exist in oxidation states of -III, +III or +V. The most important compounds are antimony oxides, i.e. antimony trioxide and antimony pentoxide. Antimony trioxide is slightly soluble in water. Other less-important antimony compounds include antimony pentasulfide, antimony chloride, antimony potassium tartrate, antimony trichloride, antimony trisulfide and antimony hydride (or stibine). |
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There is more information that may be useful in understanding some of the issues surrounding the NPI.
