Antimony in the environment: A critical review
- 1Department of Earth Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
- 2Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic), Natural Resources Canada, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
Abstract
Antimony (Sb) is a critical metalloid, primarily found in the environment in companion with other elements of the same group, such as arsenic and bismuth. Low-temperature magmatic-hydrothermal systems formed at shallow depths are the most favourable environment for the formation of Sb deposits. Mining activities and the use of Sb in many industrial and consumer products have led to the widespread distribution of Sb in the environment and subsequent risks to ecosystems and human health. Thus, it is essential to better understand the cycling and geochemical behaviour of Sb in the environment to mitigate its environmental impacts while promoting the best approaches for mining and recycling Sb from secondary sources to meet rising global demand. This review summarizes recent research on Sb in the environment, covering its sources, chemistry, mineralogy, speciation, and environmental behaviour, including mobility, distribution, and transformation. We discuss analytical methods for the measurement of Sb and critically evaluate available remediation strategies for water, soil, and mine waste. Finally, the paper presents novel strategies for Sb recovery and recycling that may help to address concerns about its future supply. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on Sb in the environment and discusses some key knowledge gaps and future research directions.
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BibTeX
@article{khorshidi2026antimony,
title = {{Antimony in the environment: A critical review}},
author = {Niyayesh Khorshidi and David Richard Lentz and Michael B. Parsons},
journal = {Earth-Science Reviews},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1016/j.earscirev.2026.105547},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2026.105547},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Antimony in the environment: A critical review
AU - Niyayesh Khorshidi
AU - David Richard Lentz
AU - Michael B. Parsons
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/18
JO - Earth-Science Reviews
DO - 10.1016/j.earscirev.2026.105547
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2026.105547
AB - Antimony (Sb) is a critical metalloid, primarily found in the environment in companion with other elements of the same group, such as arsenic and bismuth. Low-temperature magmatic-hydrothermal systems formed at shallow depths are the most favourable environment for the formation of Sb deposits. Mining activities and the use of Sb in many industrial and consumer products have led to the widespread distribution of Sb in the environment and subsequent risks to ecosystems and human health. Thus, it is essential to better understand the cycling and geochemical behaviour of Sb in the environment to mitigate its environmental impacts while promoting the best approaches for mining and recycling Sb from secondary sources to meet rising global demand. This review summarizes recent research on Sb in the environment, covering its sources, chemistry, mineralogy, speciation, and environmental behaviour, including mobility, distribution, and transformation. We discuss analytical methods for the measurement of Sb and critically evaluate available remediation strategies for water, soil, and mine waste. Finally, the paper presents novel strategies for Sb recovery and recycling that may help to address concerns about its future supply. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on Sb in the environment and discusses some key knowledge gaps and future research directions.
SN - 0012-8252
SN - 1872-6828
ER -