September 1995 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Antimony and Compounds |
(Antimonio) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about antimony. For more information,
you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. 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.
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SUMMARY: Exposure to antimony
occurs in the workplace or from skin contact with soil
at hazardous waste sites. Breathing high levels of antimony
for a long time can irritate the eyes and lungs, and can
cause problems with the lungs, heart, and stomach. This
chemical has been found in at least 403 of 1,416 National
Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental
Protection Agency. |
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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How
likely is antimony to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services,
the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) have not classified antimony as to
its human carcinogenicity.
Lung cancer has been observed in some
studies of rats that breathed high levels of antimony. No
human studies are available. We don't know whether antimony
will cause cancer in people.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to antimony? |
Tests are available to measure antimony
levels in the body. Antimony can be measured in the urine,
feces, and blood for several days after exposure. However,
these tests cannot tell you how much antimony you have been
exposed to or whether you will experience any health effects.
Some tests are not usually performed in most doctors' offices
and may require special equipment to conduct them.
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Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? |
The EPA allows 0.006 parts of antimony
per million parts of drinking water (0.006 ppm). The EPA requires
that discharges or spills into the environment of 5,000 pounds
or more of antimony be reported.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set an occupational exposure limit of 0.5 milligrams
of antimony per cubic meter of air (0.5 mg/m³) for an
8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
The American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) currently recommend
the same guidelines for the workplace as OSHA.
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Glossary |
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
Ingestion: Taking food or drink into
your body.
Long-term: Lasting one year or more.
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
Parasite: An organism living in or on
another organism.
ppm: Parts per million.
Short-term: Lasting 14 days or less.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1992. Toxicological Profile for antimony. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
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Where can I get more information? |
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational
and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize,
evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous
substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions
or concerns. For more information, contact:
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
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