Antimony: Another toxin on board
2003-08-22 22:08
Cape Town - Antimony, of which there is a reported 18 000kg on the stranded Sealand Express, is toxic but does also have medicinal uses, according to a US government website.
In its purest form it is a silvery-white toxic metal.
It is used, alloyed with other metals, in batteries, solder, sheet and pipe metal, bearings, castings and pewter.
Antimony oxide, the type said to be carried on the Sealand Express, is added to textiles and plastics to prevent them from catching fire. It is also used in paints, ceramics, fireworks, and as enamels for plastics, metal and glass.
Exposure to antimony at high levels can result in a variety of adverse health effects.
Breathing high levels for a long time can irritate your eyes and lungs and can cause heart and lung problems, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach ulcers.
In short-term studies, animals that breathed very high levels of antimony died.
Animals that breathed high levels had lung, heart, liver, and kidney damage.
In long-term studies, animals that breathed very low levels of antimony had eye irritation, hair loss, lung damage, and heart problems. Problems with fertility were also noted.
In animal studies, problems with fertility have been seen when rats breathed very high levels of antimony for a few months.
Antimony is however beneficial in medicinal doses in the treatment of people infested with parasites.
- SAPA