Baby Safety / Compounds / Sodium arsenate

Is Sodium arsenate safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Sodium arsenate, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is sodium arsenate?

The IUPAC name is Trisodium arsenate dodecahydrate.

Also known as: Trisodium arsenate dodecahydrate, Disodium arsenate, Sodium arsenate, dibasic, Sodium biarsenate.

IUPAC name
Trisodium arsenate dodecahydrate
CAS number
7778-43-0
Molecular formula
Na3AsO4•12H2O
Molecular weight
424.04 g/mol
SMILES
O[As](=O)([O-])[O-].[Na+].[Na+]
PubChem CID
24500

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Sodium arsenate, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Sodium arsenate, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Sodium arsenate. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA——
IARC——

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter sodium arsenate

  • pesticide production
  • herbicide manufacturing
  • wood preservatives (historically)
  • laboratory reagent

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Sodium arsenate:

  • Monosodium phosphate
    Trade-offs: Lower biocidal efficacy. Phosphate runoff causes eutrophication.
    Relative cost: 0.5×
  • Copper-based wood preservatives (ACQ, CA-C)
    Trade-offs: More corrosive to fasteners. Requires stainless steel or hot-dip galvanized hardware.
    Relative cost: 1.3×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain sodium arsenate?

Sodium arsenate appears in: pesticide production; herbicide manufacturing; wood preservatives (historically).

See Sodium arsenate in the baby app

Look up products containing sodium arsenate, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (1)
  1. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 7778-43-0 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →