Antimony (Sb) is nitrogen-group element which has similar valence electron configurations and chemical speciation to arsenic (As). As the ninth-most mined metal worldwide, a large quantity of Sb and Sb-contained compounds have been released into the environment. Sources of Sb release include abrasion from brake linings, use as flame retardants, plastic production, mining, refining and shooting activities. Though the ecotoxicity of Sb is not well known, Sb(III) compounds are generally considered to be more toxic and mobile than Sb(V), similar to that of As. Therefore, distribution, speciation, toxicity and bioavailability of Sb in various environmental compartments are considered to be primary controlling factors for human and ecosystem health.

To investigate Sb distribution and biogeochemical characteristics in contaminated soils, we collected three different types of Sb-contaminated soil samples in South Korea: 1) Sb refining factory, 2) Sb waste landfill site, and 3) military shooting range. Mineralogy and speciation of Sb were investigated using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) analysis. Metagenomic analysis was used to characterize the microbial community compositions. Citric acid extraction and sequential extraction were also used for Sb fraction analysis. Soil samples adjacent to Sb refining factory and antimony waste landfill site generally represented higher Sb concentration than the shooting rage and showed significant change of Sb concentration with depth. We will discuss Sb speciation in these different types of contaminated soils. These results will be correlated to microbial community dynamics analyses.