Environmental Fate of Antimony and Its Influence on Soil–Plant Systems: Insights for Remediation Approaches

ABSTRACT

The increasing concentration of antimony (Sb) in the environment has raised significant concerns throughout the globe owing to its potential toxicity. It enters the ecosystem mainly through anthropogenic activities, including coal mining, industries, leaching, urbanization, and the weathering of the parent rocks. This literature review provides an in‐depth overview of the sources of Sb contamination, its speciation and bioavailability in the soil–plant system, as well as the mechanisms governing its uptake and sequestration by the plants. The Sb toxicity adversely affects numerous characteristics of plant physiology, such as seed germination, plant growth, nutrient uptake, and interferes with the photosynthetic system. The review also examines various remediation strategies for Sb, evaluating their efficiency, economic, and applicability in different environmental contexts. These methods inclusively restore degraded land by reinstating the production and its ecosystem service value. The findings of this review offer valuable insights into the potential novel approaches for mitigating the Sb pollution, thereby improving the management of Sb contaminated soils and reducing associated ecological and human health risks.