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Heavy Metal Index

Effects of Antimony on Rats Following 90-Day Exposure via Drinking Water

Male and female rats were given potassium antimony tartrate in drinking water at 0.5, 5, 50, and 500 ppm for 13 weeks, with a 4-week recovery for the control and highest dose.

Male and female rats were given potassium antimony tartrate in drinking water at 0.5, 5, 50, and 500 ppm for 13 weeks, with a 4-week recovery for the control and highest dose. Calculated intakes rose from about 0.06 mg/kg/day at the lowest dose to 42.17 mg/kg/day in males and 45.69 mg/kg/day in females at 500 ppm. Tissue antimony increased with dose. The authors set a NOAEL at 0.5 ppm, equivalent to 0.06 mg/kg body weight/day.

Key numbers

Figures below are copied as printed. Units are not converted. Species are not merged.

AnalyteWhat was reportedValueUnitBasisWhere
Sb0.5, 5, 50 and 500 ppm0.5ppmas administered in drinking waterAbstract and Methods, p. 1
Sb5 ppm5ppmas administered in drinking waterAbstract and Methods, p. 1
Sb50 ppm50ppmas administered in drinking waterAbstract and Methods, p. 1
Sb500 ppm500ppmas administered in drinking waterAbstract and Methods, p. 1
SbMale 0.5 ppm calculated intake 0.060.06mg/kg/daycalculated intake from measured water consumption and nominal drinking-water concentration, over 90 daysTable 1, p. 5
SbMale 5 ppm calculated intake 0.560.56mg/kg/daycalculated intake from measured water consumption and nominal drinking-water concentration, over 90 daysTable 1, p. 5
SbMale 50 ppm calculated intake 5.585.58mg/kg/daycalculated intake from measured water consumption and nominal drinking-water concentration, over 90 daysTable 1, p. 5
SbMale 500 ppm calculated intake 42.1742.17mg/kg/daycalculated intake from measured water consumption and nominal drinking-water concentration, over 90 daysTable 1, p. 5
SbFemale 0.5 ppm calculated intake 0.060.06mg/kg/daycalculated intake from measured water consumption and nominal drinking-water concentration, over 90 daysTable 1, p. 5
SbFemale 5 ppm calculated intake 0.640.64mg/kg/daycalculated intake from measured water consumption and nominal drinking-water concentration, over 90 daysTable 1, p. 5
SbFemale 50 ppm calculated intake 6.136.13mg/kg/daycalculated intake from measured water consumption and nominal drinking-water concentration, over 90 daysTable 1, p. 5
SbFemale 500 ppm calculated intake 45.6945.69mg/kg/daycalculated intake from measured water consumption and nominal drinking-water concentration, over 90 daysTable 1, p. 5
SbA NOAEL of 0.5 ppm antimony in drinking water, equivalent to an average intake of 0.06 mg/kg body weight/day0.5ppmdrinking waterAbstract, p. 1
Sbactual absorbed doses were closer to 0.06-4.5 mg/kg/day based on the estimation of a 10% gastrointestinal absorption0.06-4.5mg/kg/dayauthors’ estimate assuming 10 percent gastrointestinal absorptionDiscussion, p. 7

The structured evidence record for this source holds 98 copied values. The table above is the short set.

Methods (brief)

Potassium antimony tartrate of stated purity 99.95 percent was dissolved in tap water. Concentrations were checked by ICP, and batches were prepared monthly. Rats had free access to food and the dosed water. At termination, serum and homogenized tissues were acid-digested and analysed by ICP emission spectrometry, with hydride generation atomic absorption for low levels. Red blood cell results are identified in the table footnote as coming from a separate 1997 paper.

Evidence fitness

Subchronic oral toxicity and tissue distribution of trivalent antimony, given as potassium antimony tartrate in drinking water to rats for 13 weeks, including calculated intakes and wet-weight tissue concentrations, and an author-stated NOAEL of 0.5 ppm.

It does not measure antimony in bottled water, tap water as consumed by people, or foods. It does not provide antimony(V) toxicity, methylated antimony, or a human drinking-water limit. Histopathology severity scores are not extracted.

Limitations

The test compound is a soluble trivalent salt. The authors state that other speciations and less soluble forms may have milder effects. Red blood cell concentrations are attributed to another paper. Recovery red blood cell antimony was not done. The 0.1 µg/g cells are left-censored as printed. Gastrointestinal absorption of 10 percent used for the absorbed-dose estimate is an assumption, not a measurement in this study.

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