The Global Biogeochemical Cycle of Antimony

Antimony (Sb) has emerged as a global environmental concern due to its increasing anthropogenic release and its potential toxicity. This review synthesizes the global Sb biogeochemical cycle, quantifying both natural fluxes and profound anthropogenic perturbations. Natural Sb cycling is driven by rock weathering, atmospheric emissions (2.1 Gg·yr −1 ), natural deposition, terrestrial vegetation turnover (∼5.64 Gg·yr −1 ), and riverine export to oceans (37.4 ± 7.8 Gg·yr −1 ). In the ocean, hydrothermal vents add ∼3.5 ± 2.4 Gg·yr −1 , while outputs occur via sediment burial and oceanic lithosphere subduction. Human activities now dominate the cycle, contributing ∼72% of total atmospheric inputs, and the total Sb emission (7.6 Gg·yr −1 ) increased by 260% compared with the natural emission alone. Mining is the largest disturbance, releasing ∼48.68 Gg·yr −1 into rivers and accumulating ∼66.8 Gg·yr −1 in surrounding soils. Urban wastewater discharges and atmospheric deposition via runoff further contribute to aquatic systems. An estimated total marine input of ∼43.5 Gg·yr −1 slightly exceeds outputs (∼40.5 Gg·yr −1 ), indicating a human‐induced imbalance in the global Sb cycle. Significant uncertainties remain due to scarce emission factors and regional variability, highlighting the need for more precise data to inform sustainable resource management and pollution control strategies.