Enhancement of toxicity to roof rats (Rattus rattus) by in vitro conversion of magnesium ammonium arsenate to arsenite salts.

• Main Authors: Muktha Bai, K., Bhavanagary, H. M., Majumder, S. K.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 1978
• Subjects: 17 Toxicology; Rattus rattus
• Online Access: http://ir.cftri.com/4110/; http://ir.cftri.com/4110/1/Comparative%20Physiology%20and%20Ecology,%20Volume-3%28%20%281978%29%20155-161.pdf

The rodenticidal efficacies of ammonium or sodium arsenite and arsenious oxide have been studied by in vitro chemical reduction of magnesium ammonium arsenate (MAA), a by-product of fertilizer industry. It was observed that the reduced products obtained by sulphur dioxide and sodium sulphite methods showed 100% mortality as compared to 86% and 37% by MAA and arsenious oxide of commercial grade respectively against roof rats 1 Rattus rattus), whereas no mortality was obtained with ammonium arsenite against the test rodents. The dose required to kill all the roof rats by reduced products ranged from 71 to 196 mil/kg body weight whereas partial mortality was observed with similar dosage when the test species was Rattus norvegicus (albino), MAA toxicity to roof rats was improved when it was converted by sulphur dioxide and sodium sulphite methods in vitro than in vivo.