Is lead telluride toxic?

Lead telluride is a compound of lead and tellurium (PbTe). It crystallizes in the NaCl crystal structure with Pb atoms occupying the cation and Te forming the anionic lattice. It is a narrow gap semiconductor with a band gap of 0.32 eV. It occurs naturally as the mineral altaite.

Lead Telluride Toxicological Information

Likely routes of exposure: Inhalation, skin and eyes.

Symptoms of exposure: Skin or eye contact with dust or fume may cause local irritation. Inhalation or ingestion of dust or fumes may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal spasms, fatigue, sleep disturbances, weight loss, anemia, and pain in legs, arms, and joints.

Acute and chronic effects of lead telluride pieces

Lead Compounds:  Acute lead poisoning is relatively infrequent and occurs from ingestion of acid soluble lead compounds or inhalation of lead vapors. Chronic lead poisoning may affect the gastrointestinal, neuromuscular, central nervous, hematological and renal systems. The CNS syndrome is usually more common among children, while the GI syndrome is more prevalent in adults. There is limited evidence in humans and sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of inorganic lead compounds. Animal studies have demonstrated effects of lead on male and female gonads and fertility.

Tellurium Compounds:  Exposure to tellurium compounds may cause garlic odor of the breath and sweat, dryness of the mouth, metallic taste, somnolence, anorexia, and occasional nausea. Skin lesions in the form of scaly, itching patches and loss of sweat function have also been reported. Hydrogen telluride is highly toxic and has caused pulmonary irritation and hemolysis of red blood cells in animals; this gas is very unstable, however, and its occurrence as an actual industrial hazard is unlikely.

Carcinogenicity of lead telluride pieces

Lead and Lead Compounds:  NTP:  R - Reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen    IARC:  2B - Possibly carcinogenic to humans

To the best of our knowledge the chemical, physical and toxicological characteristics of the substance are not fully known.

Lead telluride applications

It is often alloyed with tin to make lead tin telluride, which is used as an infrared detector material. 

Lead telluride has good performance as a thermoelectric material, partly due to a low thermal conductivity and partly due to its electrical properties. It has peak thermoelectric performance at high temperature and was used in spacecraft power applications.