Environmental context. Because of its many industrial and other uses, antimony (Sb) is increasingly emitted into the environment through human activities. We studied the uptake of Sb by crop plants from three different substrates: hydroponic nutrient solutions, agar medium, and potting soil. The uptake of Sb increased linearly with Sb in solution or soluble Sb in soil over a wide range of concentrations until it was limited by toxicity. Antimony was much less toxic than its sister element arsenic compared on a molar basis. The results suggest that Sb may be accumulated by some crop plants on heavily contaminated soils at concentrations that may pose a health risk to humans and animals.

Abstract. We investigated the uptake of antimonate from nutrient solutions, agar and soil by various cultivated plants, including Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), clover (Trifolium pratense L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.). Antimony uptake did not differ between the three growth media. In all tested plants, the shoot Sb concentration was proportional to Sb in solution or soluble Sb in soil, until toxicity eventually limited growth. At a given Sb concentration in the growth medium, Sb accumulation differed between plant species by up to an order of magnitude. Clover grown in agar containing 160 mg L^–1 Sb in solution accumulated 2151 mg kg^–1 Sb (dry weight) in the shoots. Maize had the lowest accumulation. In maize and sunflower, most Sb accumulated in the leaves. The results indicate that antimony may accumulate in the edible parts of crop plants grown on heavily contaminated soils at concentrations that may pose a health risk to humans and animals.