What is Antimony?
Antimony is a silvery-white metal that is found in the earth’s crust. Antimony ores are mined and then mixed with other metals to form antimony alloys or combined with oxygen to form antimony oxide. 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.
Antimony is a pure element. Some forms of it are metallic, while others are non-metallic. Antimony is used for a wide array of industrial applications, including many paints, batteries, and rubber. As a result of its wide use in various non-recyclable materials and its toxic properties, antimony is often spoken of in the context of environmental problems or cleanup. Antimony has an atomic number of 51 and is represented by the symbol Sb, derived from the Latin Stibium, the name given to antimony sulfide in the Classical period. A popular etymology of the word antimony holds that a German monk, Basil Valentine, threw some of the element to the monastery’s pigs, who purged and then became very healthy and fattened quickly. The monk decided that the element must have healing properties, so fed it to his fellow brothers, who all subsequently died of toxicity. The name, then, is believed to come from the French antimoine, meaning “anti-monk”. While this etymology is very romantic, it is mor
This Public Health Statement is the summary chapter from the Toxicological Profile for antimony. It is one in a series of Public Health Statements about hazardous substances and their health effects. A shorter version, the ToxFAQs™, is also available. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
What is it? Antimony is a naturally-occurring pure element that is found in the earth’s crust. It is a metalloid that has many properties of a metal. Where is it found? Antimony is mixed into alloys and used in batteries, rubber, paints, bullets, plumbing and matches. It is also mixed with oxygen and used as a flame retardant in toys, seat covers, mattresses and textiles. Why should I be concerned? Antimony and many of its compounds are toxic. It can cause skin irritation, dizziness, headaches, vomiting and death. It is used in many non-recyclable/disposable products and contaminates water supplies when it seeps out of these products after their disposal. It has not been sufficiently tested on humans. Animals studies have shown it to cause reproductive disruptions; liver, heart, kidney and lung damage; and hair loss. Where can I learn more? For more information, please see the ATSDR ToxFAQs for Antimony and Compounds and the Wikipedia entry for antimony.
