Antimony (Sb) is a toxic metalloid that occurs widely at trace concentrations in soil, aquatic systems, and the atmosphere. Nowadays, with the development of its new industrial applications and the corresponding expansion of antimony mining activities, the phenomenon of antimony pollution has become an increasingly serious concern. In recent years, research interest in Sb has been growing and r...

BACKGROUND Hydrogen sulphide is a gas signalling molecule which is produced endogenously from L-cysteine via the enzymes cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE). The possible role of hydrogen sulphide in reproduction has not yet been fully investigated. It has been previously demonstrated that hydrogen sulphide relaxes uterine smooth muscle in vitro. The aim of the...

beginning of a spectacular career for antimony in chemistry and medicine" (p. 14). The internal use of antimony and its compounds was most widespread during the seventeenth century: despite periodic warnings about its poisonous nature, its apparent ability to expel undesirable humours from the body by promoting sweating, vomiting and purging-ensured its acceptance in medical practice, particula...

We aimed to study the characteristics and the mechanism of the cumulative release of antimony at an antimony smelting slag stacking area in southern China. A series of dynamic and static leaching experiments to simulate the effects of rainfall were carried out. The results showed that the release of antimony from smelting slag increased with a decrease in the solid-liquid ratio, and the maximum...

It is very important to investigate antimony geochemical behavior in order to identify its source, or reveal contamination processes, since antimony and its compounds are considered to be pollutants of high priority by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States (USEPA). However, the concentration of antimony in most geological samples is very low, and its stable isotope mass diffe...

We examined the effects of hypoxia and sulphide levels on the ventilatory activity of Arenicola marina and determined whether ventilation compensates for oxygen deficiency and affects the mode of energy provision. A. marina ventilated intermittently, irrespective of ambient P(O2) and sulphide concentration. The ventilation rate was 28.5+/-16 ml h(-1) g(-1) wet mass during normoxia, but increase...

The product of the biological sulphate reduction is sulphide. High concentrations of molecular H2S (g) can be inhibitory for microbial activity, especially at a reactor pH of 6 to 7. This paper focuses on the effect of high sulphide concentrations on the sulphate reduction rates. The results of three investigations operating a continuous reactor, a column reactor and batchtest reactors have sho...

BACKGROUND Although high dose of antimony is the mainstay for treatment of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL), ongoing major concerns remain over its toxicity. Whether or not low dose antimony regimens provide non-inferior effectiveness and lower toxicity has long been a question of dispute. METHODS A single-blind, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial was conducted comparing high ...

Antimony is a regulated contaminant that poses both acute and chronic health effects in drinking water. Previous reports suggest that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics used for water bottles in Europe and Canada leach antimony, but no studies on bottled water in the United States have previously been conducted. Nine commercially available bottled waters in the southwestern US (Arizona) ...

OBJECTIVES Raised concentrations of antimony have been found in infants dying of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The presumed source of this antimony is toxic gases generated from fire retardants that are present in cot mattresses. The aim of this study was to determine the role of antimony in SIDS. DESIGN Samples of liver, brain, serum, and urine were collected from all patients dying f...