Osmium tetroxide exposure might pose various problems to your health. Osmium tetroxide is a chemical compound that is also known as osmium (VIII) oxide. It appears as a solid, colorless or yellow because of the presence of the impurity osmium dioxide with a harsh chlorine-like stench. It is flammable and starts to melt at 40.6 °C, below which it starts to sublime. A variety of organic solvents may be used to dissolve it.
Osmium tetroxide exposure is extremely hazardous due to its acute toxicity and potent oxidizing capacity. The two main applications of osmium tetroxide are the biological staining of lipids and oxidation processes, such as the production of vicinal diols from alkenes. Osmium tetroxide interacts and undergoes oxidation, which results in its darkening. This might be useful information to have in case of a spill, splash, or unintentional cutaneous exposure since it can also cause oxidized tissue to become black.
