Answer to Question #89756 in Inorganic Chemistry for Madeline Valencia

Question

How does antimony kill you? why is it toxic?

Answer 1

Antimony poisoning, harmful effects upon body tissues and functions of ingesting or inhaling certain compounds of antimony. Such poisoning resembles arsenic poisoning.

Antimony poisoning has resulted from drinking acidic fruit juices containing antimony oxide dissolved from the glaze of cheap enamelware containers. Toxicity can also result from repeated exposure to antimony in medications, such as tartar emetic (antimony and potassium tartrate), used to induce vomiting and in treatment of helminthic and fungal infestations. The industrial use of antimony has not appeared to be associated with serious occupational poisoning. It is believed that the toxicity of antimony and of arsenic is due to the fact that in combination with enzymes (the organic catalysts of the cell) they interfere with cellular metabolism(like other heavy metals, the mechanism of toxicity of antimony is due to the binding of sulfhydryl groups with subsequent enzymeinhibition).

Sourses:

https://www.britannica.com/science/antimony-poisoning

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/antimony