Toxic effects of antimony in plants: Reasons and remediation possibilities—A review and future prospects

Abstract

Antimony (Sb) is a dangerous heavy metal (HM) that poses a serious threat to the health of plants, animals, and humans. Leaching from mining wastes and weathering of sulfide ores are the major ways of introducing Sb into our soils and aquatic environments. Crops grown on Sb-contaminated soils are a major reason of Sb entry into humans by eating Sb-contaminated foods. Sb toxicity in plants reduces seed germination and root and shoot growth, and causes substantial reduction in plant growth and final productions. Moreover, Sb also induces chlorosis, causes damage to the photosynthetic apparatus, reduces membrane stability and nutrient uptake, and increases oxidative stress by increasing reactive oxygen species, thereby reducing plant growth and development. The threats induced by Sb toxicity and Sb concentration in soils are increasing day by day, which would be a major risk to crop production and human health. Additionally, the lack of appropriate measures regarding the remediation of Sb-contaminated soils will further intensify the current situation. Therefore, future research must be aimed at devising appropriate measures to mitigate the hazardous impacts of Sb toxicity on plants, humans, and the environment and to prevent the entry of Sb into our ecosystem. We have also described the various strategies to remediate Sb-contaminated soils to prevent its entry into the human food chain. Additionally, we also identified the various research gaps that must be addressed in future research programs. We believe that this review will help readers to develop the appropriate measures to minimize the toxic effects of Sb and its entry into our ecosystem. This will ensure the proper food production on Sb-contaminated soils.

Remediation of heavy metals by native plant species grown in Iran’s richest gold mine and study of plants’ pollution tolerance strategies

“…There was very intense pollution of Sb in the Zarshuran mining area. Reduction of growth, disruption of uptake of essential mineral nutrients in plants, ROS production, instability of membranes, and induction of other structural changes in plants are some of the adverse effects of Sb toxicity in plants (Tang, et al, 2022). Despite the non-essentiality and toxicity of Sb, some plants can uptake and accumulate Sb in relatively high concentrations in their organs, but a smaller quantity of this metalloid can be translocated to the shoot (Vidya, et al, 2022).…”

Using biochar for environmental recovery and boosting the yield of valuable non-food crops: The case of hemp in a soil contaminated by potentially toxic elements (PTEs)

“…This is due to the high concentration of labile PTEs in soil (water soluble and easily exchangeable PTEs), which exerts a toxic action towards microbial communities and plants, and represents a severe risk for human health [ 4 ] (Enyigwe et al, 2022). Among the various PTEs, antimony (Sb) is a highly toxic emerging contaminant whose concentration in soil is continuously increasing [ 5 ] (Tang H et al, 2022). This element is readily absorbed by plants, causing a severe reduction in biomass production.…”

“…This element is readily absorbed by plants, causing a severe reduction in biomass production. Sb stress lowers chlorophyll synthesis, causes ROS production and MDA accumulation, harms chloroplast structure and leads to ultrastructural changes in plants [ 5 ]. Bioavailable Sb can also critically impair soil functionality by affecting the composition, size, and activity of resident microbial communities [ 6 ].…”

Speciation of trace amounts of Sb(iii) and Sb(v) in environmental water using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after magnetic solid-phase extraction with rGO/Fe3O4

“…6 Inorganic forms of Sb are dominant species in natural water. 7 Different species of Sb have negative impacts on plants and damage DNA and the nervous system of humans. [7][8][9][10] The U.S. EPA has designated Sb and its compounds as priority pollutants due to the substantial health concerns they pose, 11 and the World Health Organization (WHO) has set a maximum concentration level for total Sb in drinking water at 5 mg L −1 .…”

“…7 Different species of Sb have negative impacts on plants and damage DNA and the nervous system of humans. [7][8][9][10] The U.S. EPA has designated Sb and its compounds as priority pollutants due to the substantial health concerns they pose, 11 and the World Health Organization (WHO) has set a maximum concentration level for total Sb in drinking water at 5 mg L −1 . 12 Thus, establishing an accurate speciation analysis method for trace Sb in environmental water is vital for investigating the toxic mechanism of Sb in an aqueous environment.…”