Zoë Ferguson Asha Marchant ANTIMONY Zo ё Ferguson Asha Marchant

 Antimony is a semi-metallic chemical element which can exist in two forms: metallic, which is bright, silvery, hard and brittle, and the non-metallic form, which is a gray powder  Antimony is a poor conductor of heat and electricity, and is stable in dry air  Atomic Number: 51  Atomic Mass: g.mol^-1  Density: g.cm^-3

 Antimony was used in biblical times, back before Loreal had a makeup line, by people who would take the stibnite from the antimony and use it as a pencil to color their eyebrows, or ‘eyeliner’ their eyes.  Often confused with lead back in the day, but the first person to clearly identify it as antimony was French scientist, Nicholas Lémery  In the early 1700’s, antimony was a popular medicine in pill-form, used as a laxative that could ‘blast through the most compacted bowels.’  By the 20 th century, doctors declared antimony as dangerous. The alchemical symbol for antimony. Stibnite

Can be discerned by an orange precipitate that is formed when Hydrogen Sulphide, H2S, is passed into an acidified solution of the substance being tested.

 Irritation of eyes, skin, and lungs  After a while of exposure, more serious health effects may occur, such as lung diseases, heart problems, diarrhea, severe vomiting, and stomach ulcers.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS Can be found in soils, waters, and air in very small amounts Antimony may kill or give the animals various health defects similar to those of humans after exposure

 Used as a bronzing coating for metals and plaster casts  Used in medicines such as Tartar Emetic, (i.e. Hydrated Potassium Antimonyl Antimonate)  Used in the manufacture of enamels  Used in the electronics industry in the manufacture of semiconductors  Used in the manufacture of coloring in pottery and ceramics.

 If poisoned by antimony, go outside and inhale fresh air, if inhalation is a suspected exposure route  For direct contact with the skin, remove the contaminated clothing and rinse and wash the skin with soap and water  Get medical attention  Continue to hydrate, administer intraveneous fluids and begin treatment with vasopressors (which increase heart rate)  Decontaminate the stomach and begin chelation (a process that removes heavy metals from the blood stream) to bind the antimony out of the blood  Continue to hydrate and cross your fingers

 It is speculated that the famous composer, Amadeus Mozart, a hypochondriac, was killed by an overdose of antimony pills.  The molding for cars and batteries is made of antimony  In 1939 Babbitt created an alloy composed of 4 parts copper, 8 parts antimony, and 24 parts tin, which would later come to be known at Babbitt Metal.

 Charles Bravo ( ) was an elite British lawyer, who was poisoned with antimony in  The doctors could do nothing to save him, and it took him three days to die.  He had no clue as to who might have poisoned him, and no one else did either  No one was charged with his murder

 In Massachusetts General Hospital, July 2012, a man developed recurrent vomiting, metabolic acidosis, hepatic failure, and acute renal failure after ingesting tarter emetic (antimony poison tartrate) after trying to stop drinking alcohol  Tartar emetic (antimony) is a gastrointestinal irritant that is what stimulated his vomiting, also concentrating in the liver and causing hepatitis that could turn into hepatic necrosis  After a lot of science, and much prayer, the hospital, after over a month, was able to rid the man’s body of the antimony, and saved his life

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