Information on and related to Antimony

Antimony is a metal that may be found in some public and/or private supplies of drinking water. It is a metal that according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)can be problematic to your health if found in amounts that exceed the standard set by them

Antimony is found in naturally occurring ore deposits that consist of other elements. Antimony Trioxide is the most commonly used compound. It is used used as a flame retardant and can be found in ceramics, pigments, glass and batteries.

Antimony is regulated because Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974 that says safe levels of chemicals in drinking water that may or may not cause health hazards be determined by the EPA. These non-enforceable levels called Maximum Contaminant Level Goals are based soley on exposure and health risks.

The MCLG (Maximum Containment Level Goals) for antimony that would not cause any probable health hazards has been set at 6 parts per billion because the EPA believes this level of protection would not cause any of the potential health problems described below.

An enforceable standard called Maximum Containment Level based on this MCLG has been set by the EPA for antimony. Considering the ability for public water suppiers and systems to discover and remove contaminants using appropriate water treatment tecnologies, MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as possible. According to the EPA, the MCL of 6 parts per billion because that is the lowest level to which water systems can reasonably be required to remove antimony should it occur in drinking water. All public water supplies must abide by the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations which are the regulations for ensuring the stanards are met

According to the EPA, antimony has been found to cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea when people are exposed to antimony at levels above the MCL for relatively short periods of time.

No reliable data is available concerning health risks from long-term exposeure to antimony in drinking water. Antimony is a human carginogen.

How much Antimony is produced and released to the environment?
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. Industrial dust, auto exhaust and home heating oil are the main sources in urban air.

From 1987 to 1993, according to the Toxics Release Inventory antimony and antimony compound releases to land and water totaled over 12 million lbs. These releases were primarily from copper and lead smelting and refining industries. The largest releases occurred in Arizona and Montana. The greatest releases to water occurred in Washington and Louisiana.

What happens to Antimony when it is released to the environment?
Little is known about antimonys fate once released to soil. Some studies indicate that antimony is highly mobile in soils, while others conclude that it strongly adsorbs to soil. In water, it usually adheres to sediments. Most antimony compounds show little or no tendency to accumulate in aquatic life.

How will Antimony be Detected in and Removed from My Drinking Water?
The regulation for antimony became effective in 1994. Between 1993 and 1995, EPA required your water supplier to collect water samples every 3 months for one year and analyze them to find out if antimony is present above 6 ppb. If it is present above this level, the system must continue to monitor this contaminant.

If contaminant levels are found to be consistently above the MCL, your water supplier must take steps to reduce the amount of antimony so that it is consistently below that level. The following treatment methods have been approved by EPA for removing antimony: Coagulation/Filtration, Reverse Osmosis.

How will I know if Antimony is in my drinking water?
If the levels of antimony exceed the MCL, the system must notify the public via newspapers, radio, TV and other means. Additional actions, such as providing alternative drinking water supplies, may be required to prevent serious risks to public health.