title: Comparison of arsenic and antimony biogeochemical behavior in water, soil and tailings from Xikuangshan, China.
abstract: Although similar geochemical behaviors of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in the environment has been assumed and widely reported, growing evidence suggests the two elements cannot, under some conditions, be assumed to behave similarly. In this four-year study (samples collected in each year), comparative investigation of the biogeochemistry of As and Sb in water/fish, soil/vegetable, tailings/plant samples were carried out at the world's largest active Sb mine area (Xikuangshan, China). Depending on duration the tailings had been stacked, significant differences in spatial distributions between As and Sb were found, and these were associated with change in pH over time. Bio-accumulation factors (BAFs) of As were approximately 10-fold greater than those of Sb in fish/water, plant/tailing, and vegetable/soil systems. Sb had higher BAF in non-fatty tissues such as gills of fishes and shells of crabs. BAFs of Sb in vegetable/soil exhibited insignificantly, but different from As, positive correlation with pH in soil.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
authors.forename: Zhiyou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China. Electronic address: wufengchang@vip.skleg.cn.
authors.forename: Fengchang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Teaching Equipment and Laboratory Management Center, Guiyang University, Guiyang 550005, China.
authors.forename: Changli
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.affiliation: College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550002, China.
authors.forename: Qiujing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; Zoology Dept. and Center for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Giesy
mesh_terms: D000965:Antimony / Q000032:analysis*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008906:Mining; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D000965:Antimony; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: As; Bioaccumulation; Metal; Mining/smelting; Mobility; Sb