Australia's Science Forum

Hi All
My Senior Science teacher has asked me to get some Selenium salts.
I have looked in Serrata and Westlab catalogues without success.
Any ideas? Please
Judy

Taken from Volume 2 page 217 CSIS
Selenium powder, teacher only, class 6.1 toxic
Highly toxic by all routes of exposure. Avoid inhaling or contacting fine particles with skin. etc etc etc Why would you use it, but sorry this is not much help.

I would ring Serrata, they would know more about this Selenium Powder.

Good luck

My Senior Science teacher was absolutely flabergasted when I asked her what someone would need Selenium salts for in Senior Science.

She could not think of any dot point in the sylabus to which it would bear any revalence.

In 12 years of getting pracs for Senior Science no one has ever asked for it.

I have no idea where to get some and my question would be "is what is learnt from it worth the expence of getting it?"

Thanks fibreweb and Labbie - sounds like pretty good reasons for not finding them.
Judy

ChemSupply have selenium in several forms. Selenium, black, powder; selenium dioxide; selenium standard solution (in nitric acid); and selenium mixture. The last two specify for determining nitrogen. Now if you can only get your teacher to figure out which one it is that he wants you might be able to order some in. However it is not up to you to do the thinking for your teacher. Selenium dioxide has a UN number and is Class 6, selenium standard solution has a UN number and is Class 8.
Lyn.

Thanks Lyn and also fibreweb and Labbie

.
Please see attached. Some involved.
Judy

We are all with you Judy, your letter hit the heart hard. Life has not been kind to you. You have done so well, wish I could help you more.

I had a look at my picture periodic poster from ANSTO and it shows anti-dandruff shampoo for Selenium.
Hope that is of some help

Watch the spoof movie "Evolution", where Head & Shoulders Shampoo saves the world, because of it's selenium content. We actually showed it (once) at the end of term, with a question sheet!

yep! Anti-dandruff shampoo is a source of selenium..
and I'll give you a tip - a lot of vets prescribe a selenium shampoo for dogs that have skin allergies. I have given up paying extra money for the vet product and buy the old fashioned dandruff shampoo instead, and I have found it is BRILLIANT at a flea wash!
shows how toxic it is when those little jumpers curl up and die and drop right off the hair..
AND my dog doesn't have dandruff

Kinda scary thinking about what we put on ourselves without really knowing... So glad I don't use this product!