Antimony in water

Serfor-Armah, Y., Nyarko, B.J.B., Adotey, D.K. et al. (2006) Levels of arsenic and antimony in water and sediment from Prestea, a gold mining town in Ghana and its environs. Water Air and Soil Pollution, 175(1-4), 181-92. 

Selective extractive separation of antimony (usually Sbm), as well as selective complexation of Sbm (Mohammad et al., 1990), followed by hydride generation have been used for the determination of antimony in water. Four species of antimony in natural water have been identified Sbv, Sbm, methylantimony and dimethylantimony (Apte et al., 1986). The analyses were carried out using hydride generation cold trapping procedures. Sbm was separated from Sbv in natural and waste waters by extraction with N-p-methoxyphenyl-2-furylacrylohydroxamic acid into chloroform (Abbasi, 1989). The extracted antimony was determined by means of graphite-furnace AAS. The detection limit was 10 2mgdm 3. 

Dissolve a minute quantity of tartar emetic — a compound of the metal antimony — in water. 

Pretorius L, Kempster PL, van Vliet HR, et al. 1992. Simultaneous determination of arsenic, selenium and antimony in water by inductively coupled plasma hydride method. F J Anal Chem 342(4-5) 391-393. 

When the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health compared the amount of antimony in waters bottled both in PET and in glass, the concentrations in PET bottles were somewhat higher, but still well below the allowed maximal concentrations (1% of the tolerable daily intake determined by the WHO), and it is concluded that the health risk involved is negligible. A recent study found similar low concentrations for antimony in the water bottled in PET [58]. 

Antimony Ill) fluoride is a readily hydrolysable solid which finds use as a fluorinaling agent. Antimony(lll) chloride is a soft solid, m.p. 347 K. It dissolves in water, but on dilution partial hydrolysis occurs and antimony chloride oxide SbOCl is precipitated ... 

Sodium Antimonate. Sodium antimonate [15593-75-6] Na SbO, another antimony synergist of commercial importance, has an antimony content of 61—63 wt % and a bulk density of 39.4—46.4 kg/m. Properties are given in Table 2. It is made by oxidizing antimony trioxide using sodium nitrate and caustic. It is a white powder and has a pH of around 9—11 when dissolved in water. 

After firing, the powder is washed in water typically with a small amount of complexing agent such as ethylenediarninetetraacetic acid (EDTA), sodium EDTA, or a weak acid such as citric acid to remove the excess chloride, volatile antimony oxychlorides which have recondensed on the phosphor during cooling, and manganese compounds which are not incorporated in the halophosphate lattice. The powder is then ready for suspension. 

Generally, the concentration of antimony in the air varies from 1 x 10 mg/m to 170 x 10 mg/m and can be as high as 1000 x 10 mg/m neat antimony processing faciHties (33). Because of the stabiHty of antimony in aqueous systems, the concentration of dissolved antimony in fivers is very small (about 5 ppb antimony). Also, despite the fact that antimony is in the solder used in water pipes, it does not appear to dissolve in the drinking water. 

Antimony trioxide is insoluble in organic solvents and only very slightly soluble in water. The compound does form a number of hydrates of indefinite composition which are related to the hypothetical antimonic(III) acid (antimonous acid). In acidic solution antimony trioxide dissolves to form a complex series of polyantimonic(III) acids freshly precipitated antimony trioxide dissolves in strongly basic solutions with the formation of the antimonate ion [29872-00-2] Sb(OH) , as well as more complex species. Addition of suitable metal ions to these solutions permits formation of salts. Other derivatives are made by heating antimony trioxide with appropriate metal oxides or carbonates. 

Electrodeposition of antimony sesquitelluride, Sb2Tc3, or of (Bii xSbx)2Te3 alloys from aqueous solutions is challenging because it is difficult to achieve a sufficiently high concentration of antimony. Complexing agents such as tartaric acid, citric acid, or FUTA have been used to solubilize Sb in water. 

De La Caele-Guntinas MB, Madrid Y, and Camara C (1995) Antimony speciation in water. In Quevauviller Ph, Maier EA and Griepink B, eds. Quality assurance for environmental analysis, pp 264-283. Elsevier, Amsterdam. 

Antimonyl chloride (sometimes called antimony oxychloride) is known as a "basic chloride." It is insoluble in water, but aqueous solutions of the trihalides can be made if enough HX is present to prevent hydrolysis. Adding water to reduce the concentration of acid causes the oxychloride to precipitate. 

The neutron activation method for the determination of arsenic and antimony in seawater has been described by Ryabin et al. [66]. After coprecipitation of arsenic acid and antimony in a 100 ml sample of water by adding a solution of ferric iron (10 mg iron per litre) followed by aqueous ammonia to give a pH of 8.4, the precipitate is filtered off and, together with the filter paper, is wrapped in a polyethylene and aluminium foil. It is then irradiated in a silica ampoule in a neutron flux of 1.8 x 1013 neutrons cm-2 s 1 for 1 - 2 h. Two days after irradiation, the y-ray activity at 0.56 MeV is measured with use of a Nal (Tl) spectrometer coupled with a multichannel pulse-height analyser, and compared with that of standards. 

Tao et al. [658] have described a procedure in which antimony and arsenic were generated as hydrides and irradiated with ultraviolet light. The broad continuous emission bands were observed in the ranges about 240-750 nm and 220 - 720 nm, and the detection limits were 0.6 ng and 9.0 ng for antimony and arsenic, respectively. Some characteristics of the photoluminescence phenomenon were made clear from spectroscopic observations. The method was successfully applied to the determination of antimony in river water and seawater. The apparatus used in this technique is illustrated in Fig. 5.16. 

Figure S.2 shows a schematic diagram of the automatic hydride/vapour-generator system designed by P.S. Analytical. This has been widely used to determine hydrideforming elements, notably arsenic, selenium, bismuth, tellurium and antimony, in a wide range of sample types. To provide a wide range of analyses on a number of matrices the chemistry must be very well defined and consistent. Goulden and Brooksbank s automated continuous-flow system for the determination of selenium in waste water was improved by Dennis and Porter to lower the detection levels and increase relative precision [10, 11]. The system described by Stockwell [9] has been specifically developed in a commercial environment using the experience outlined by Dennis and Porter.

In a report from Russia, an increase in the number of spontaneous abortions was reported in women exposed to antimony in the workplace " Exposure levels were not available. No effects were observed in the offspring of rats given low levels of antimony trichloride in the drinking water. 

Silver is a white, ductile metal occurring naturally in its pure form and in ores (USEPA 1980). Silver has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals. Some silver compounds are extremely photosensitive and are stable in air and water, except for tarnishing readily when exposed to sulfur compounds (Heyl et al. 1973). Metallic silver is insoluble in water, but many silver salts, such as silver nitrate, are soluble in water to more than 1220 g/L (Table 7.3). In natural environments, silver occurs primarily in the form of the sulfide or is intimately associated with other metal sulfides, especially fhose of lead, copper, iron, and gold, which are all essentially insoluble (USEPA 1980 USPHS 1990). Silver readily forms compounds with antimony, arsenic, selenium, and tellurium (Smith and Carson 1977). Silver has two stable isotopes ( ° Ag and ° Ag) and 20 radioisotopes none of the radioisotopes of silver occurs naturally, and the radioisotope with the longest physical half-life (253 days) is "° Ag. Several compounds of silver are potential explosion hazards silver oxalate decomposes explosively when heated silver acetylide (Ag2C2) is sensitive to detonation on contact and silver azide (AgN3) detonates spontaneously under certain conditions (Smith and Carson 1977). 

In Refs. 10 and 11, aqueous NaiSiOs was added to SbCls in glacial acetic acid (SbCls hydrolyzes in water unless complexed or the solution is moderately acidic or strongly alkaline). A pH of ca. 3 was optimum below 2.5, adhesion was poor above 4, basic antimony salts precipitated. The solution was kept below room temperature to prevent rapid bulk precipitation. No XRD pattern was found for the as-deposited film, which was presumed to be amorphous. Annealing at 170°C crystallized the film, at least partly. The bandgap of the as-deposited film was reported to be 2.48 eV and that of the annealed film 1.76 eV. Photoconductivity was exhibited by the annealed film but not by the as-deposited one. 

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