Antimony [Sb, 51]
9
around abandoned mining area in Scotland contain Sb up to 1200 mg/kg (Gal et al.
2007). For soils, the maximum allowable concentration and the trigger action values
are estimated at 10  mg/kg and 20  mg/kg, respectively. The following are the mean
values of Sb content in various fertilizers (mean values in mg/kg): NPK, 0.03; P, 0.20;
solid pig manure, 0.16; sewage sludge, 0.20; and fly ash, 3.8.
2.3 WATERS
According to Gaillardet et al. (2003), the world average river flux of Sb in seawater
is 2.6 kt/yr (Filella et al. 2000). Antimony concentrations reportedly ranges from
0.15 to 0.44 μg/L and from 0.05 to 0.98 μg/L in seawater and river water, respectively (Table 2.1). In some surface water (e.g., lake in a national park in Poland), Sb
concentration may be much higher, up to 2.15 μg/L (Niedzielski et al. 2000a). Water
of some polluted aquatic environments contains Sb over 100 μg/L, and geothermal
water may have up to 500 μg/L (Filella et al. 2000; Sabadell and Axtmann 1975).
In the bottom sediments of uncontaminated water, Sb contents vary from <0.1 to
4.3 mg/kg (Bojakowska et al. 2007).
In water, Sb occurs in two oxidation states, 3+ and 5+, depending on the
redox potential. There are some suggestions that Sb 5+ in the form of Sb(OH) 6
predominates over Sb 3+ . Common compounds in water at neutral pH are HSbO 2 and
Sb(OH) 3 . Organoantimony compounds in aqueous environment are also methylated forms: MeSbCl 2 , Me 3 SbBr 2 , and MeSbI 2 , which may change to Me 3 Sb(OH) 2 and
Me 3 SbO, res pectively (Koch 1998). Various methylated species of Sb(CH 3 SbH 2 ,
[CH 3 ]Sb, [C 2 H 5 ] 3 Sb) are found in river sediments. According to this author, volatile Sb compounds, SbH 3 and Me 3 Sb, are also present is some aquatic environments. Niedzielski et al. (2000b) reported that common species of Sb in lake water
are Sb(OH) 3 and Sb(OH) 6− , and their contents are as follows: Sb 3+ , 0.3–0.4 μg/L;
Sb 5+ , <0.15 μg/L; and Sb organic, 0.1–0.15 μg/L.
Rainwater contains relatively low concentration of Sb, up to 0.14 μg/L (Table 2.1).
Sb wet deposition during 1999 in Sweden was calculated to be 0.8 g/ha/yr (Eriksson
2001a).
Median Sb concentration in tap water of European countries is estimated at
0.07 μg/L, which is lower than in bottled water at 0.22 μg/L (Birke et al. 2010). Sb
content in polyester (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles is about 224 mg/kg; however, its transfer to beverages is relatively low (Welle and Franz 2011). Guideline for
Sb concentration in drinking water is established at 20 μg/L by the WHO (2011a).
2.4 AIR
Concentrations of Sb in air in Spitsbergen vary from 0.002 to 0.25 ng/m 3 and
may be considered as natural. Sb content in air around urban and industrial areas
reaches up to 55 ng/m 3 (Table 2.1), and may be elevated up to 1000 ng/m 3 according to the data presented by ATSDR (2002b). Sn concentrations in air of Helsinki
downtown and closed rural area were 0.77 ng/m 3 and 0.36  ng/m 3 , respectively
(Pakkanen et al. 2002).
Antimony released to the atmosphere is in the forms of oxides, sulfide, and elemental Sb. Natural sources of Sb and its compounds are volcanic eruption, sea salt