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How does antimony affect the body?
Chronic exposure to antimony in the air at levels of 9 mg/m3 may exacerbate irritation of the eyes, skin, and lungs. Long-term inhalation of antimony can potentiate pneumoconiosis, altered electrocardiograms, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach ulcers, results which were confirmed in laboratory animals.
Is antimony harmful to humans?
Antimony toxicity occurs either due to occupational exposure or during therapy. Occupational exposure may cause respiratory irritation, pneumoconiosis, antimony spots on the skin and gastrointestinal symptoms. In addition antimony trioxide is possibly carcinogenic to humans.
How does antimony kill you?
Exposure to relatively high concentrations of antimony (9 mg/m3 of air) for a longer period of time can cause irritation of the eyes, skin and lungs. As the exposure continues more serious health effects may occur, such as lung diseases, heart problems, diarrhea, severe vomiting and stomach ulcers.
Can antimony be absorbed through the skin?
Exposure to high levels of antimony trioxide or a mixture of antimony trioxide and pentoxide resulted in death in rabbits (Myers et al. 1978). Since the application area was occluded, the study suggests that at least some forms of antimony can be absorbed through the skin.
How do you handle antimony?
Precautions for Safe Handling: Avoid creating dust. Avoid breathing dust or fumes. Provide adequate ventilation if dusts are created. Avoid exposure to high temperature.
Is antimony safe to inhale?
Acute (short-term) exposure to antimony by inhalation in humans results in effects on the skin and eyes. Respiratory effects, such as inflammation of the lungs, chronic bronchitis, and chronic emphysema, are the primary effects noted from chronic (long-term) exposure to antimony in humans via inhalation.
What are the side effects of antimony poisoning?
Symptoms of severe antimony poisoning include vomiting, watery diarrhea, collapse, irregular respiration, and hypothermia. A single dose of potassium antimony tartrate (equivalent to 0.53 mg Sb/kg) produced vomiting (Dunn, 1928).
How does antimony look like?
Antimony is a silvery-white, shiny element that looks like a metal. It has a scaly surface and is hard and brittle like a non-metal. It can also be prepared as a black powder with a shiny brilliance to it. The melting point of antimony is 630°C (1,170°F) and its boiling point is 1,635°C (2,980°F).
What causes high antimony?
Drinking water from some plastic water bottles may contain higher levels of antimony, but these levels are not known to cause health effects. Higher levels of antimony may be found near waste sites or industries that process or release it, such as smelters, coal-fired plants, and garbage incinerators.
How is antimony refined?
The industrial methods for refining antimony are roasting and reduction with carbon or direct reduction of stibnite with iron. The largest applications for metallic antimony are an alloy with lead and tin and the lead antimony plates in lead–acid batteries.
How is antimony used in everyday life?
Antimony is used principally for flame retardants as well as in ammunition and automotive batteries and as a decolorizing agent in glassmaking. Antimony is not an element which most people see daily in a recognizable form. However, it is present in many products in everyday use.
Is antimony poisonous?
Antimony and its compounds are toxic. Poisoning can occur during the smelting of antimony ore concentrates and production of antimony alloys. With acute poisoning, there is irritation of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory passages and of the eyes and skin. Dermatitis and conjunctivitis may develop.
What element is antimony?
Antimony is a naturally existing chemical element. Native antimony from Mexico. Antimony is a shiny gray metalloid which exists in nature as sulfide mineral stibnite. The atomic number of antimony is 51, and its chemical symbol is Sb, which is derived from the Latin term “stibium.”.
What is the history of antimony?
The metal antimony was known to German chemist Andreas Libavius in 1615 who obtained it by adding iron to a molten mixture of antimony sulfide, salt and potassium tartrate . This procedure produced antimony with a crystalline or starred surface.