Arsenic and Antimony

Abstract

Arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) are chalcophilic metalloids that share numerous similarities in biogeochemical properties. This chapter reviews the chemical properties, environmental/geochemical reactions, phytoaccumulation and toxicology of the two elements.Arsenic belongs to Group 15 in the periodic table. The electron configuration is [Ar]3d 10 4s 2 4p 3 , and it has four major oxidation states (þ5, þ3, 0, and À3). Arsenic has multiple isotopes, and most of them have very short half-life (t ½ ) of microseconds to milliseconds. Of these, 71 As, 72 As, 73 As, 74 As and 74 As have t ½ of approximately 65 h to 80 days, and 75 As is the only stable isotope. In the soil and water environment, inorganic As is mainly present in two oxidation states (þ3 and þ5). Arsenite, As(III), commonly exists as arsenious acid, As(OH) 3 , in reduced environments. Conversely, an oxidized environment contains more arsenate, As(V), as arsenic acid (for example, HAsO 4 2À ). Antimony also belongs to Group 15 in the periodic table. The electron configuration is [Kr] 5s 2 4d 10 5p 3 , and it has four major oxidation states (þ5, þ3, 0 and À3). The most common oxidation states in low temperature environments are þ5 and þ3. Although Sb has multiple isotopes, most of them have short t ½ of <1 day. Only a few of its isotopes have t ½ of more than a few days: 122 Sb (2.7 days), 124 Sb (60.2 days), 126 Sb (12.3 days), and 127 Sb (3.85 days). Antimony has two stable isotopes, 121 Sb and 123 Sb. Antimony-125 is a fission product of 235 U, and has a half life of $2.76 years. While antimonite, Sb(III), commonly exists as antimonous acid, Trace Elements in SoilsEdited by Peter S. Hooda

GEMAS: Prediction of solid-solution phase partitioning coefficients (Kd) for oxoanions and boric acid in soils using mid-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

“…The relationships between Fe ox and Mn ox and partitioning of oxoanions are not surprising, given the sorption capacity of the oxide minerals solubilized by oxalate. For example, Fe ox was the most important soil property explaining the K d values for Sb and V [35][36][37][38]. The Mn ox concentration in soils was found to be an important variable for Mo partitioning in soils ( Table 2).…”

Determining As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn in Leaves of Trees Collected near Mining Locations of Malé Karpaty Mts. in the Slovak Republic

“…Arsenic so as antimony are chalcophilic metalloids that share numerous similarities in biogeochemical properties [28]. Both can be volatilised (Sb as SbH 3 ), or methylated in the environment [29], and plants utilize these mechanisms for restriction of the possibilities of their cell damage.…”

Water Quality of groundwater used for public supply in principal aquifers of the western United States

“…In the U.S., the leading use for antimony (as antimony trioxide) is as a fire retardant in adhesives, paints, papers, plastics, and sealants; secondary uses are in alloys for batteries and solders (Seal and others, 2017). Natural sources of antimony in soil and water originate from mineral weathering; anthropogenic sources include mining, industrial processes, and pesticide application of some metal-containing pesticides (Arai, 2010).…”

“…Antimony had significant negative correlations with dissolved oxygen (Spearman's rho= -0.66) and no other explanatory factors. The geochemistry of antimony has similar traits to arsenic and often coexists with arsenic in the natural environment (Arai, 2010;Wilson and others, 2010). Both trace elements most commonly occur in relativity oxic environments as antimonates and arsenates or in anoxic environments as antimonites and arsenites (Wilson and others, 2010).…”