Antimony
Heavy metalA metal in ammunition primers and flame retardants — often paired with lead.
Where it comes from in service
Firing ranges and ammunition handling (it travels with lead), and some industrial work.
How it harms the body
Inhaled antimony irritates the lungs and heart and can act as a marker of firing-range metal exposure.
How long it stays in you
Cleared over weeks; lung and cardiac effects studied with heavy inhalation.
Where it goes — tap an organ to go deeper
ATSDR links inhaled antimony to lung and heart effects.
Most relevant alongside lead from range exposure — address them together.
What to ask your clinician about
- •Discuss with a clinician alongside lead testing
Bring this to your clinician and your VSO — they decide what testing and care, if any, is right for you. For general, whole-person ways to support your body, see Whole health.
Sources: ATSDR ToxFAQs: Antimony. Drafted from the government's and science's own record — VA presumptive lists (PACT Act, 38 CFR, Camp Lejeune), ATSDR ToxFAQs, IARC, and NTP. Sources are cited on every page, and this library has not yet been reviewed by a named clinician or toxicologist. This is documentation to bring to your clinician and VSO — not a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a determination of service connection. Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.