Technical Factsheet on: ANTIMONY
List of Contaminants
As part of the Drinking Water and Health pages, this fact sheet is part of a larger publication:
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
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 mg/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 lb.) child consuming one liter of water per day: a long-term (upto 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 lbs. antimony ore was mined and refined. Production of the most commonly used
antimony compound, the trioxide, increased during the 1980s to about 31 million lbs, reported in 1985.
In 1985, it was estimated that industries consumed antimony trioxide as follows: Flame retardant, 76%;
catalyst, 6%; pigments, 5%; glass, 8%; miscellaneous, 5%. Primary antimony was used as follows: Flame
retardant, 60%; transportation (including batteries), 10%; ceramics/glass, 10%; other uses, 10%.
Release Patterns
The most common antimony ores are the sulfide, stibnite, and the trioxide, valentinite. Other ores include
cervantite, livingstonite, jamisonite, and kermesite. Antimony is also a common component of coal and
petroleum.
Industrial dust and exhaust gases of cars and oil fuels are the main sources of antimony in urban air.
Substantial amounts of antimony trioxide are released to the atmosphere during processing of antimony
materials including smelting of ores, molding and incineration of products, as well as the combustion of
fossil fuels which are utilize the high temperatures needed to volatilize antimony trioxide.
From 1987 to 1993, according to the Toxics Release Inventory antimony and antimony compound
releases to land and water totalled over 12 million lbs., of which nearly all was to land. These releases
were primarily from copper and other nonferrous smelting and refining industries. The largest releases
occurred in Arizona and Montana. The greatest releases to water occurred in Washington and Louisiana.
Environmental Fate

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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 bioconcentration of most antimony compounds, though one report states that the
tribromide can be concentrated by certain forms of marine life to over 300 times its concentration in water.
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- slightly soluble
trifluoride- 4.4 kg/L at 20 deg C
trioxide- slightly soluble
trisulfide-1.8 mg/L at 18 deg C
Common Ores: trioxide-Valentinite; sulfide-Stibnite. Other ores/natural sources: cervantite, livingstonite,
jamisonite, kermesite, petroleum
Other Regulatory Information
Monitoring:
- For Ground Water Sources:
Initial Frequency-1 sample once every 3 years
Repeat Frequency-lf no detections for 3 rounds, once every 9 years
- For Surface Water Sources:
Initial Frequency-1 sample annually
Repeat Frequency-lf no detections for 3 rounds, once every 9 years
- Triggers - If detect at > 0.006 mg/L, sample quarterly.
Analysis
Reference Source
EPA 600/4-79-020
NTIS PB 91-231498
Method Number
204.2
200.9; 200.8

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Standard Methods
ASTM
3113
D3697-87
Treatment/Best Available Technologies: Coagulation/Filtration, Reverse Osmosis
Toxic Release Inventory - Releases to Water and Land, 1987 to 1993 (in pounds):

Water
Land

TOTALS
330,064
12,003,373

Top Ten States *



AZ
505
7,074,128

MT
0
2,338,697

TX
24,817
840,392

LA
55,414
344,762

Wl
1,445
392,000

MO
784
188,266

WA
63,220
99,915

ID
2,600
140,250

TN
687
108,325

AL
27,536
69,503

Major Industries*



Copper smelting, refining

505
7,074,128
Other nonferrous smelt.

17,015
2,383,947
Sec. nonferrous smelt.

1,459
803,398
Misc Indust. Organics

18,424
581,465
Porcelain plumb, fixtures

1,445
392,000
Petroleum refining

111,527
202,251
Misc Inorganic chems.

4,962
140,250
Plastics, resins

20
60,372
Storage batteries

0
45,952
Synthetic fibers

26,803
12,535
* Water/Land totals only include facilities with releases greater than a certain amount - usually 1000 to
10,000 lbs.
For Additional Information:
EPA can provide further regulatory and other general information:
EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline - 800/426-4791
Other sources of toxicological 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

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