Antimony toxicity upon microorganisms from aerobic and anaerobic environments.

Antimony (Sb) is a toxic and carcinogenic metalloid that can be present in contaminated water generated by mining operations and other industrial activities. The toxicity of Sb (III) and Sb (V) to aerobic microorganisms remains limited and unexplored for anaerobic microorganisms involved in hydrogen (H) and methane (CH) production. This study aimed to evaluate the toxicity of Sb (III) and Sb (V) upon aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms important in biological wastewater treatment systems.