The aqueous chemistry of tellurium: critically-selected equilibrium constants for the low-molecular-weight inorganic species

Environmental contextEquilibrium constants are required in many scientific disciplines such as biology, medicine, engineering, and in particular chemistry. Lack of reliable equilibrium constants for tellurium has restricted our understanding of its speciation and behaviour in the environment. This study presents a reliable set of equilibrium constants for tellurium, thereby providing a more coherent basis for future experimental investigations of the geochemistry, biochemistry and toxicology of this element. AbstractRelatively little information is available in the literature regarding the speciation and solubility of tellurium in aqueous solutions. The available thermodynamic data have been critically evaluated and entered into a thermodynamic database. The Joint Expert Speciation System suite of computer programs has been used to achieve thermodynamic consistency and provide a critically-selected set of equilibrium constants that can later be used for modelling purposes.