General Description
White crystals. Used in bacteriology and medicine.
Reactivity Profile
SODIUM TELLURITE(10102-20-2) is a weak reducing agent.
Air & Water Reactions
Water soluble.
Hazard
Toxic by ingestion.
Health Hazard
The material is both an oral and dermal toxic hazard. The material is toxic by ingestion. Oral ingestion of tellurium compounds is generally regarded as extremely toxic. The probable oral lethal dose is 5-50 mg/kg or between 7 drops and 1 teaspoonful for a 70 kg (150 pound) person. Tellurium compounds are regarded as super toxic for skin exposures.
Potential Exposure
Used in bacteriology and medicine. Formerly used as pesticide.
Fire Hazard
When heated to decomposition, SODIUM TELLURITE emits toxic fumes of tellurium and sodium monoxide.
First aid
Skin Contact: Flood all areas of body that have contacted the substance with water. Don’t wait to remove contaminated clothing; do it under the water stream. Use soap to help assure removal. Isolate contaminated clothing when removed to prevent contact by others. Eye Contact: Remove any contact lenses at once. Immediately flush eyes well with copious quantities of water or normal saline for at least 2030 minutes. Seek medical attention. Inhalation: Leave contaminated area immediately; breathe fresh air. Proper respiratory protection must be supplied to any rescuers. If coughing, difficult breathing or any other symptoms develop, seek medical attention at once, even if symptoms develop many hours after exposure. Ingestion: If unconscious or convulsing, do not induce vomiting or give anything by mouth. Assure that victim’s airway is open and lay him on his side with his head lower than his body and transport at once to a medical facility. If conscious and not convulsing, give a glass of water to dilute the substance. If medical advice is not readily available, consider inducing vomiting of this toxic material. Transport at once to a medical facility.
Shipping
UN3284 Tellurium compound, n.o.s., Hazard Class: 6.1; Labels: 6.1-Poisonous materials, Technical Name Required. UN2811 Toxic solids, organic, n.o.s., Hazard Class: 6.1; Labels: 6.1-Poisonous materials, Technical Name Required.
Incompatibilities
A weak reducing agent. Incompatible with oxidizers (chlorates, nitrates, peroxides, permanganates, perchlorates, chlorine, bromine, fluorine, etc.); contact may cause fires or explosions. Keep away from alkaline materials, strong bases, strong acids, oxoacids, epoxides, cadmium, halogens. Reaction with oxidizers may generate heat and products that may be flammable, combustible, or otherwise reactive.
Chemical Properties
Sodium tellurite is a white crystalline solid.
Chemical Properties
White powder. Soluble in water.
Uses
Disodium Tellurite is an effector towards the thyroid hormone system due to it being of a similar group to selenium. Tellurium accumulates in the thyroid gland and influences the zinc thyroid level. I
t is also damaging towards DNA in TK6 human lymphoblastoid cells.
Uses
Sodium tellurite(IV) acts as an intermediate used in the extraction of the tellurium. It is used to make corrosion-resistant electroplated nickel. It is also used to add a bluish coating to iron, steel and aluminum. It serves as a growth medium for bacteria in microbiology.
