Sodium tellurite

Sodium tellurite (CAS 10102-20-2, EC 233-268-4), also known as disodium tellurite or disodium trioxotellurate, is an inorganic tellurium salt with the formula Na2TeO3. It carries no E-code designation and is not approved as a food additive. It is commercially available as a white crystalline powder.

In microbiology, sodium tellurite is incorporated into selective culture media such as Hoyle and TCBS agar, where it inhibits gram-positive organisms and causes tellurite-reducing bacteria to produce characteristic black colonies, enabling pathogen identification. In pharmaceutical research, it is used as a reference compound and reagent in studies involving oxidative stress and tellurium biochemistry.

Sodium tellurite is supplied in reagent and laboratory grades, typically in powder form, packaged in quantities ranging from grams to kilogram lots. It falls under HS code 28429090 and is subject to REACH registration requirements within the European Union. Handling and transport are governed by applicable hazardous substance regulations due to its toxicity classification.