Baby Safety / Compounds / Thallium sulfate

Is Thallium sulfate 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 Thallium sulfate, 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 thallium sulfate?

The IUPAC name is Dithallium sulphate.

Also known as: Dithallium sulphate, Thallous sulfate, Tharattin, Zelio.

IUPAC name
Dithallium sulphate
CAS number
7446-18-6
Molecular formula
Tl2SO4
Molecular weight
504.78 g/mol
SMILES
[O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-].[Tl+].[Tl+]
PubChem CID
24833

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Thallium sulfate, 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 Thallium sulfate, 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 Thallium sulfate. 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 thallium sulfate

  • rodenticide (historical use)
  • laboratory settings
  • specialized industrial synthesis

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Thallium sulfate:

  • Zinc phosphide rodenticide
    Trade-offs: Requires bait stations. Less effective against bait-shy rodents.
    Relative cost: 0.2×
  • Anticoagulant rodenticides (brodifacoum)
    Trade-offs: Secondary poisoning risk to raptors and pets. Slow-acting (3-5 days).
    Relative cost: 0.5×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain thallium sulfate?

Thallium sulfate appears in: rodenticide (historical use); laboratory settings; specialized industrial synthesis.

See Thallium sulfate in the baby app

Look up products containing thallium sulfate, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (1)
  1. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 7446-18-6 — 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 →