Acute Intoxication from Antimony Trichloride

Abstract

Seven men were accidentally exposed to the fume of antimony trichloride. Their symptoms included not only the well-recognized upper respiratory irritation from hydrochloric acid but, in five of the men, an additional, slightly delayed onset of gastro-intestinal disturbance including abdominal pain and persistent anorexia. Urine antimony estimations revealed a concentration in excess of 1 mg./litre in these five men. Environmental measurements suggest that they were briefly exposed to air containing up to 146 mg. hydrochloric acid and 73 mg. antimony per m.³ expressed as the metal. These findings are compared with other reports on chronic antimony intoxication. No report could be found in recent literature about acute intoxication from antimony trichloride.