Antimony and its compounds are listed as pollutants of priority
interest by the Environmental Protection Agency of the
United States and the Council of the European Communities
[1]. Antimony is an element that occurs naturally because of
rock weathering, soil runoff and atmospheric deposition in the
environment. However, its presence in the environment is also
caused by various anthropogenic activities. Compounds containing
antimony are used to manufacture glass and ceramics. Road
traffic is also a significant source of antimony, as a number of its
compounds that are used in brake linings, flame retardants and
tyre vulcanization processes that require Sb-containing additives
[2]. Furthermore, ultra-trace level concentrations of antimony
are commonly found in environmental materials such as seawater
and marine organisms [3–5].
Antimony has also been used in medical treatment. Leishmaniasis
is an inflammatory disease, occurring in tropical regions,