Antimony in Switzerland. a Substance Flow Analysis
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> Environmental studies > Chemicals / Substance flow analysis 24 > Antimony in Switzerland 07 A substance flow analysis > Environmental studies > Chemicals / Substance flow analysis > Antimony in Switzerland A substance flow analysis Mit deutscher Zusammenfassung – Avec résumé en français – Con riassunto in italiano Published by the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN Bern, 2007 Impressum Issued by Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) FOEN is an office of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). Authors Renata Mathys, Jessica Dittmar & C. Annette Johnson FOEN consultant Patrick Krähenbühl, Substances, Soil, Biotechnology Divison Suggested form of citation Mathys R., Dittmar J., Johnson C.A. 2007: Antimony in Switzerland: A substance flow analysis. Environmental studies no. 0724. Federal Office for the Environment, Bern.149 pp. Design Ursula Nöthiger-Koch, 4813 Uerkheim Cover picture Antimonite (Antimony sulphide) © Musée d’histoire naturelle Fribourg, Suisse Downloadable PDF file www.environment-switzerland.ch/uw-0724-e (no printed version available) Code: UW-0724-E © FOEN 2007 > Table of contents 3 > Table of contents Abstracts 5 3.3.1 Classification of major products 50 Foreword 7 3.3.2 Classification of minor products 54 Vorwort 8 3.3.3 Trade 55 Avant-propos 9 3.3.4 Production 56 Premessa 10 3.3.5 Consumption 57 Summary 11 3.3.6 Stock 57 Zusammenfassung 14 3.4 Flame retardants 58 Résumé 17 3.4.1 Classification of products 58 Riassunto 20 3.4.1.1 Brominated flame retardants 60 3.4.1.2 Chlorinated flame retardants 60 3.4.2 Trade 61 1 Introduction 23 3.4.3 Production 63 1.1 Geochemical properties and eco-toxicity of 3.4.4 Consumption 64 antimony 23 3.4.5 Stock 65 1.2 The production of antimony 25 1.3 The global consumption of antimony in 2001 27 1.4 The use of antimony 29 4 Results 66 1.5 Summary 31 4.1 Flux of subsystem ‘trade in products’ 67 4.1.1 Flux of metal products 68 4.1.2 Flux of nonmetal products 71 2 Methodical procedures 32 4.1.3 Flux of flame retardants 78 2.1 Definition of processes and products 32 4.2 Flux of subsystem ‘waste management’ 82 2.2 Data sources 34 4.2.1 Collection 83 2.3 Data basis 34 4.2.2 Incineration 83 2.4 Uncertainties and data reliability 36 4.2.3 Landfill 85 4.2.4 Reuse 85 4.2.5 Wastewater treatment 85 3 Scope of application and occurrence 4.2.6 Important waste streams 86 of antimony 37 4.3 Flux of subsystem ‘environment’ 88 3.1 Antimony compounds 37 4.3.1 Atmosphere 88 3.1.1 Classification of major products 37 4.3.2 Hydrosphere 89 3.1.2 Classification of minor products 39 4.3.3 Pedosphere / Lithosphere 89 3.1.3 Trade 40 4.3.4 Biota 90 3.1.4 Production 41 4.4 Flux of substances in the complete system 91 3.1.5 Consumption 41 4.4.1 Data uncertainty 92 3.2 Metal products 41 3.2.1 Classification of products 41 3.2.2 Trade 48 5 Conclusions 95 3.2.3 Production 48 3.2.4 Consumption 49 3.2.5 Stock 49 Index 99 3.3 Nonmetal products 50 Abbreviations 99 Antimony in Switzerland: A substance flow analysis FOEN 2007 4 Figures 100 Tables 101 Bibliography 104 Appendix I 110 Apendix II 141 > Abstracts 5 > Abstracts Increasing quantities of antimony are being used in Switzerland for an ever broader Keywords: range of applications. Antimony is mainly used today in the following types of pro- Antimony ducts: (1) metal products such as batteries and ammunition; (2) non-metal products Material flow analysis such as catalysers and stabilisers in plastics, glass and brake linings; and (3) bromided Lead batteries and chlorinated flame-proofing agents. The material flow analysis in this report is Ammunition primarily based on published data. It describes the products and routes via which Metals antimony was imported into Switzerland, utilised, disposed of and exported, in the Plastics course of 2001. The findings permit an assessment of the quantities of this element Break linings (which has a toxicological profile similar to that of arsenic) that are released into the Flame-proofing agents environment, and the extent to which pollution of the soil with antimony is increasing. Antimon wird in der Schweiz in steigenden Mengen und für immer mehr Verwen- Stichwörter: dungszwecke eingesetzt. Die heutigen Hauptanwendungsgebiete von Antimon sind (1) Antimon Metallprodukte wie Batterien oder Munition, (2) nichtmetallische Produkte wie Kataly- Stoffflussanalyse satoren oder Stabilisatoren in Kunststoffen, Glas oder Bremsbelägen, und (3) bromierte Bleibatterien und chlorierte Flammschutzmittel. Die Stoffflussanalyse beruht hauptsächlich auf Munition Literaturangaben. Sie zeigt für das Jahr 2001, über welche Güter und Wege Antimon in Metalle die Schweiz importiert, gebraucht, entsorgt und exportiert wird. Die Ergebnisse geben Kunststoffe Aufschluss darüber, in welchen Mengen das Element, das ein mit Arsen vergleichbares Bremsbeläge toxikologisches Profil zeigt, in die Umwelt gelangt und wie stark die Belastung der Flammschutzmittel Böden mit Antimon zunimmt. L’antimoine est utilisé en quantité croissante et à des fins de plus en plus diverses en Mots-clés : Suisse. Les domaines d’application les plus fréquents aujourd’hui sont: 1) les produits Antimoine métalliques tels que les piles ou les munitions, 2) les produits non métalliques tels que Analyse des flux de matière les catalyseurs ou les stabilisateurs dans les matières plastiques, le verre ou les revête- Piles au plomb ments de frein et 3) les produits ignifuges bromés et chlorés. La présente analyse des Munitions flux de matière repose principalement sur des données bibliographiques. Elle démontre Métaux par quels canaux et marchandises l’antimoine a été importé en Suisse, utilisé, éliminé et Matières plastiques exporté en 2001. Les résultats révèlent en quelles quantités l’élément – dont le profil Revêtements de frein toxicologique est comparable à celui de l’arsenic – est rejeté dans l’environnement et Agents ignifuges dans quelles proportions la contamination des sols par l’antimoine augmente. Antimony in Switzerland: A substance flow analysis FOEN 2007 6 In Svizzera si sta registrando un aumento dell’impiego di antimonio per un numero Parole chiave: sempre maggiore di applicazioni. Attualmente, i principali settori d’impiego di questo antimonio elemento sono (1) la fabbricazione di prodotti in metallo come batterie o munizioni, (2) analisi dei flussi di sostanza la fabbricazione di prodotti non metallici come catalizzatori o stabilizzatori in materie batterie al piombo plastiche, vetro o pastiglie di freni e (3) la produzione di ritardanti di fiamma bromurati munizioni e clorurati. L’analisi dei flussi di sostanza, basata principalmente sulle pubblicazioni metalli esistenti in tale ambito, indica, in riferimento al 2001, i beni e le vie attraverso cui materie plastiche l’antimonio viene importato, consumato, smaltito ed esportato. I risultati ottenuti pastiglie di freni mostrano le quantità di questo elemento, dal profilo tossicologico comparabile a quello ritardanti di fiamma dell’arsenico, che giungono nell’ambiente, e indicano inoltre l’entità dell’aumento dei carichi di questa sostanza nel suolo. > Foreword 7 > Foreword Antimony is a chemical element that is little known outside of scientific circles. It has been in use for centuries in the area of metals processing, notably for the hardening of lead. Today it is used not only in numerous metal products such as turbines, batteries, ammunition and cables, but also in non-metal products, for example as a catalyser for the polymerisation of plastics and as a flame-proofing agent. The fact that antimony is being used to an ever increasing extent for the manufacture of new products, is present in large quantities in existing products and has a toxicity profile similar to that of arsenic, prompted the Swiss Federal Office for the Environ- ment to commission a material flow analysis for antimony for 2001. The associated tasks proved to be extremely time-consuming and demanding, and it is thanks to the initiative and untiring efforts on the part of Annette Johnson from EAWAG that this project was brought to a successful conclusion. The objectives of the material flow analysis were to identify the most important areas of application for antimony, and to determine how, as well as in which quantities and from which products, this element is released into the environment. The usage pattern identified for Switzerland largely corresponds to that identified in other industrialised countries, and is therefore of importance for other states and international organisations (e.g. the OECD) that want to analyse and reduce their level of chemical risk. This analysis was based on official statistical data, market studies and scientific publi- cations and reports. The Swiss Federal Office for the Environment wishes to express its sincere thanks to everyone who contributed in any way towards the successful conclu- sion of this study. Georg Karlaganis Head of Substances, Soil and Biotechnology Division Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) Antimony in Switzerland: A substance flow analysis FOEN 2007 8 > Vorwort Antimon ist ein in der breiten Öffentlichkeit wenig bekanntes chemisches Element. Dabei wird es schon seit Jahrhunderten in der Metallverarbeitung verwendet, nament- lich zur Härtung von Blei. Heute wird Antimon nicht nur in zahlreichen Metallproduk- ten wie Turbinen, Batterien, Munition und Kabeln eingesetzt, sondern auch in nicht- metallischen Produkten, beispielsweise als Katalysator für die Polymeration von Kunststoffen oder als Flammschutzmittel. Die zunehmende Verwendung von Antimon zur Herstellung neuer Produkte, die hohen Antimonlager in bestehenden Produkten und ein Toxizitätsprofil, das Ähnlichkeiten zu Arsen aufweist, haben das Bundesamt für Umwelt veranlasst, über Antimon eine Stoffflussanalyse für das Jahr 2001 erstellen zu lassen. Die Arbeiten haben sich als sehr aufwändig und anspruchsvoll erwiesen und es ist der Initiative und Ausdauer von Frau Dr.