molecular weight of anhydrous sodium sulfate

Sodium sulfate is the most abundant inorganic salt in nature and is produced by mining the mineral halite (rock salt) and the metamorphic rock gypsum. It is also a major component of seawater and many saline or alkaline lakes. Sodium sulfate-bearing minerals are found worldwide. The most significant deposits are in China, Brazil, and Canada. It is used in industry as a raw material for glass, soaps and detergents, and in paper and pulp production. It is an ingredient in antacid tablets and is a common ingredient in household cleaning products(1). It is also used as a diuretic and a cathartic in human and animal health(2) and as a reagent for the preparation of synthetic dyes(3). Sodium sulfate can cause chemical burns and lung irritation(4). It is also a known mucolytic(5).

It is readily soluble in water. It has a high melting point and is expected to exist in particulate form in the ambient atmosphere(SRC).

Inorganic sulfate ions are readily absorbed by humans and animals through the skin, eyes, lungs, mouth, stomach, intestines, and lungs. The reabsorption of sulfate anions by the renal tubule is capacity limited, and is affected by several factors such as glomerular filtration rate, sulfide concentrations in the bloodstream, dietary intake of sulfates, and renal disease(5).

The osmotic effects of sulfate anions in the gastrointestinal tract induce a cathartic action and result in watery diarrhea. Sodium sulfate is rapidly and almost completely absorbed after oral administration in rats(6).