Tellurium breath

Tellurium and its compounds are probably toxic and should be handled with care. Workmen exposed to as little as 0.01 mg/ms of air, or less, develop "tellurium breath," which has a garlic-like odor. 

In limited industrial experimental work with bismuth telluride under controlled conditions (vacuum hoods), no adverse health effects were encountered other than tellurium breath. ... 

Refinery workers who inhale tellurium dust develop tellurium breath, which has a characteristic garlicky odor. 

Tellurium has no significant biological role. Tellurium and tellurium compounds should be considered to be toxic and need to be handled with care. Organic tellurides have been employed as initiators for living radical polymerization, and electron-rich mono- and di-tellurides possess antioxidant activity. Humans exposed to as little as 0.01 mg/m or less in air develop "tellurium breath", which has a garlic-like odor. This is due to formation of ethyl telluride within the body. 

Tellurium gives a most peculiar and characteristic effect when introduced into the animal body through the lungs, stomach, or skin. Even in small amounts it produces a tellurium breath which is both offensive and persistent. The objectionable odor is also shown in the perspiration. 

Turning now to its properties and commercial applications, tellurium is not very poisonous but human beings are easily indisposed by small amounts. Workers are apt to acquire a very offensive tellurium breath . 

Matthew Meselson No, I never have. Pauling Well, it smells much worse than hydrogen sulfide.. .. Now, hydrogen telluride smells as much worse than hydrogen selenide as hydrogen selenide does compared to hydrogen sulfide. .. some chemists were not careful when working with tellurium compounds, and they acquired a condition known as tellurium breath. As a result, they have become isolated from society. Some even committed suicide. 

In 1798 Martin Klaproth, who had earlier discovered and named uranium, isolated the same silvery white metal from the same problematical ore. Klaproth, however, recognized that he and Muller had isolated a new element for which he suggested the name tellurium, meaning earth. He properly acknowledged the prior work of the Baron, who is consequently listed as its discoverer. Later it was found that tellurium does occasionally exist as the free element but more often than not exists as the gold telluride. Oddly, workers who process this ore and the metal derived from it acquire a garUc-Hke odor to their breath, a condition referred to (rather honestly but certainly not flatteringly) as tellurium breath. 

Tellurium breath (safety) A bad case of halitosis resulting from breathing tellurium vapor. 

The unusual physical complaints and findings in workers overexposed to teUurium include somnolence, anorexia, nausea, perspiration, a metallic taste in the mouth and garlic-like odor on the breath (48). The unpleasant odor, attributed to the formation of dimethyl teUuride, has not been associated with any adverse health symptoms. Tellurium compounds and metaboUc products have been identified in exhaled breath, sweat, urine, and feces. Elimination is relatively slow and continuous exposure may result in some accumulation. No definite pathological effects have been observed beyond the physical complaints outlined. Unlike selenium, teUurium has not been proved to be an essential biological trace element. 

Caution Because tellurium compounds have toxic effects similar to those of arsenic compounds care should be taken not to bring tellurium tetrachloride and its reaction products into contact with the skin. Avoid breathing fumes and dust of tellurium compounds. In addition, hydrogen chloride is evolved in Step A, and pyrophoric Raney nickel is used in Step B. Therefore all manipulations described in this procedure must be carried out in an efficient fume hood. 

The pure form of tellurium burns with a blue flame and forms tellurium dioxide (TeO ). It is brittle and is a poor conductor of electricity. It reacts with the halogens of group 17, but not with many metals. When it reacts with gold, it forms gold telluride. Tellurium is insoluble in water but readily reacts with nitric acid to produce tellurous acid. If inhaled, it produces a garlic-like odor on one s breath. 

All forms of tellurium are toxic in gas form. The vapors of all the compounds of the dust and powder forms of the element should not be inhaled or ingested. When a person is poisoned with tellurium, even in small amounts, the breath will smell like garlic. 

Toxicology. Tellurium causes garlic odor of the breath and malaise in humans. 

Serious cases of tellurium intoxication have not been reported from industrial exposure. Iron foundry workers exposed to concentrations between 0.01 and O.lmg/m complained of garlic odor of the breath and sweat, dryness of the mouth and metallic taste, somnolence, anorexia, and occasional nausea urinary concentrations ranged from 0 to 0.06 mg/1. Somnolence and metallic taste in the mouth did not appear with regularity until the level of tellurium in the urine was at least 0.01 mg/l. Skin lesions in the form of scaly itching patches and loss of sweat function occurred in workers exposed to tellurium dioxide in an electrolytic lead refinery. ... 

Human exposure has caused headache and dyspnea. Two subjects accidentally exposed to tellurium hexafluoride after leakage of 50g into a small laboratory experienced garlic breath, fatigue, a bluish-black discoloration of the webs of the fingers, and streaks on the neck and face. Complete recovery occurred without treatment. 

Human exposure to tellurium causes garlic breath due to dimethyl tel-luride which persists for a considerable period after exposure. The toxic effects of tellurium are nausea, giddiness, headache, metallic taste, and dryness in the throat. 

Indications of poisoning by tellurium salts are an odour of garlic of the exhaled air, a headache, accelerated breathing and pulse, a feeling of fatigue and dizziness. 

Tellurium and compounds are toxic. Acceptable concentration limit for an 8-hour daily exposure to dust and fumes in air is 0.1 milligrams of tellurium per cubic meter of air. Even exposure at this level may cause what is termed garlic breath.Proper ventilation, appropriate hygienic practices, and good housekeeping should be observed in handling tellurium. Although... 

SAFETY PROFILE Elemental tellurium has relatively low toxicity. It is converted in the body to dimethyl teUuride, which imparts a garUc-Uke odor to the breath and sweat. Heavy exposures may, in addition, result in headache, drowsiness, metaUic taste, loss of appetite, nausea, tremors, convulsions, and respiratory arrest. Various teUurium salts... 

Tellurium is an irritant to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. If taken internally, it can cause nausea, vomiting, and damage to the central nervous system. One interesting side effect is that it gives a garlicky-odor to the breath. 

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) reduces the characteristic garlic breath however, it may also adversely affect the kidneys when an excess amount of tellurium is present. BAL (British antilewisite 2,3-dimer-captopropanol) is contraindicated since it enhances the toxicity of tellurium. There are no available treatments for poisoning. 

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