Ro. Jenkins et al., ANTIMONY LEACHING FROM COT MATTRESSES AND SUDDEN-INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME (SIDS), Human & experimental toxicology, 17(3), 1998, pp. 138-139
1 Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cot mattress covers from SIDS cases were in
vestigated as potential sources of soluble (potentially ingestable) an
timony in the cot environment. 2 Body fluids (urine, saliva) and propr
ietary domestic detergents/sterilizing fluids markedly enhanced leachi
ng of antimony from PVC. Release of antimony was also enhanced at both
low and high pH and by elevated temperature. The extent of antimony l
eaching did not correlate well with PVC content of this element. 3 The
se data do not support the assumption that postmortem analysis of anti
mony content proves exposure to gaseous antimony trihydride from mattr
ess PVC. 4 Ingestion of antimony released from PVC could account for t
he high variability associated with reported detectable levels of anti
mony in liver from both SIDS and other infants. It could also explain
suspected additional postnatal exposure to this element, which gives r
ise to elevated levels of Sb in the hair of some healthy infants.