United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
4601
EPA811-F-95-002J- T
October 1995
Primary
Water Regulations
Antimony
CHEMICAL/ PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
CAS NUMBER: 1440-36-0 (metal)
" • '
COLOR/ FORM/ODOR: Antimony is a metal which occurs in nature
only in the combined state >
SOIL SORPTION COEFFICIENT: N/A
BIOCONCENTRATION FACTOR: BCF up to 300; may accumulate in
some aquatic organisms
SOLUBILITIES:
stibine-
trifluoride-
trioxide-
trisulfide- ,
slightly soluble
4.4 kg/L at 20 deg C
slightly soluble
1.8 mg/Lat 18degC
COMMON ORES: , trioxide- Valentinite; sulfide- Stibnite;
Other ores/natural sources: cervantite, livingstonite,
jamisonite, kermesite, petroleum
DRINKING WATER STANDARDS
MCLG: 0.006 mg/l
MCL: 0.006 mg/l
HAL(child): 1- to 10-day: 0.01 mg/L
Longer-term: 0.01 rrig/L
HEALTH EFFECTS SUMMARY
Acute: EPA has found antimony to potentially cause
the following health effects from acute exposures at
levels above the MCL: nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Short-term exposures in drinking water considered
"safe" for a 10-kg (22 Ib.) child consuming one liter of
water per day: a long-term (uptp 7 years) exposure to
0.01 mg/L.
Chronic: Antimony has the potential to cause the
following health effects from long-term exposures at
levels above the MCL: decreased longevity, altered
blood levels of glucose and cholesterol.
Cancer: There is inadequate evidence to state whether
or not antimony has the potential to cause cancer from
lifetime exposures in drinking water.
USAGE PATTERNS
In 1984,64.5 million Ibs. antimony ore was mined and
refined. Production of the most commonly used antimony
compound, the trioxide, increased during the 1980s to
bout 31 million IDS, reported in 1985.
In 1985, it was estimated that industries consumed
antimony trioxide as follows: Flame retardant, 76%; cata-
lyst, 6%; pigments, 5%; glass, 8%; miscellaneous, 5%.
Primary antimony was used as follows: Flame retardant,
60%; transportation (including batteries), 10%; ceram-
ics/glass, 10%; other uses, 10%.
Toxic RELEASE INVENTORY -
RELEASES TO WATER AND LAND:
1987 TO 1993
Water
TOTALS (in pounds) 330,064
Top Ten States *
AZ 505
MT 0
TX 24,817
LA 55,414
Wl . -1,445>
MO 784
WA 63,220
ID . 2,600
TN ' 687
AL 27,536
Major Industries*
Copper smelting, refining 505
Other nonferrous smelt. 17,015
Sec. nonferrous smelt. 1,459
Misc Indust. Organics 18,424
Porcelain plumb, fixtures 1,445
Petroleum refining 111,527
Misc Inorganic chems. 4,962
Plastics, resins 20
Storage batteries 0
Synthetic fibers . 26,803
Land
12,003,373
7,074,128
2,338,697
840,392
344,762
392,000
188,266
99,915
140,250
108,325
69,503
7,074,128
2,383,947
803,398
581,465
392,000
202.251
140,250
60,372
45,952
12,535
* Water/Land totals only include facilities with releases
greater than a certain amount - usually 1000 to 10,000 Ibs.
October 1995
Technical Version
Printed on Recycled Paper
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RELEASE PATTERNS
The most common antimony ores are the sulfide,
stibnrte, and the trioxide, valentinite. Other ores include
cervantite, livingstonfte, jamisonrte, and kermesite. Anti-
mony is also a common component of coal-and petro-
leum.
Industrial dust and exhaust g- ;es of cars and oil fuels
are the main sources of antimony in urban air. Substantial
amounts of antimony trioxide are released to the atmo-
sphere during processing of antimony materials includ-
ing smelting of ores, molding and incineration of prod-
ucts, as well as the combustion of fossil fuels which are
utilize the high temperatures needed to volatilize anti-
mony trioxide.
From 1987 to 1993, according to the Toxics Release
Inventory antimony and antimony compound releases to
land and water totalled over 12 million Ibs., of which
nearly all was to land. These releases were primarily from
copper and other nonferrous smelting and refining indus-
tries. The largest releases occurred in Arizona and Mon-
tana. The greatest releases to water occurred in Wash-
ington and Louisiana.
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
Little information is available on the transformations
and transport of antimony in various media. The mobility
of antimony in soils is not clearly understood. The strength
of its adsorption to soil and sediments depends upon a
variety of factors such as pH, organic matter content, as
well as the oxidation state of the particular salt. Some
studies indicate that antimony is highly mobile, while
others conclude that it strongly adsorbs to soil. In water,
it usually adheres to sediments.
There is no evidence of biocpncentration of most
antimony compounds, though one report states that the
tribromide can be concentrated by certain forms of ma-
rine life to over 300 times its concentration in water.
OTHER REGULATORY INFORMATION
MONITORING:
• FOR GROUND WATER SOURCES:
, INITIAL FREQUENCY- 1 sample once every 3 years
REPEAT FREQUENCY- If no detections for 3 rounds, once every 9 years
J FOR SURFACE WATER SOURCES:
INITIAL FREQUENCY- 1 sample annually
REPEAT FREQUENCY- If no detections for 3 rounds, once every 9 years
- TWOOERS - If detect at > 0.006 mg/L, sample quarterly.
ANALYSIS
REFERENCE SOURCE
EPA 600/4-79-020
NTISPB 91-231498
Standard Methods
ASTM .
METHOD NUMBER
204.2
200.9; 200.8
3113
D3697-87
TREATMENT
BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES
Ion Exchange, Lime Softening; Reverse Osmosis, Electrodialysis
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: .
A EPA can provide further regulatory and other general information:
• EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline - 800/426-4791
A Other sources of lexicological and environmental fate data include:
• Toxic Substance Control Act Information Line - 202/554-1404
• Toxics Release Inventory, National Library of Medicine - 301/496-6531
; Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - 404/639-6000
October 1995
Technical Version
Page 2
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