Aluminum Phosphide Poisoning

Aluminum phosphide is an indoor fumigant used to kill insects in most, if not all, of the stored grains we and our horses are exposed to. Like most pesticides, it can cause major problems in unintended species when used incorrectly.
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Aluminum phosphide is an indoor fumigant used to kill insects in most, if not all, of the stored grains we and our horses are exposed to. Like most pesticides, it can cause major problems in unintended species when used incorrectly. At the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 6-10 in San Diego, Calif., a report of aluminum phosphide poisoning in 29 Texas horses was presented by Leslie Easterwood, DVM, a lecturer in veterinary medicine at Texas A&M University.

She explained that aluminum phosphide kills by causing rapid cell death and organ failure. It’s commonly used as a suicide agent in India, she noted; it causes acute gastrointestinal distress, vomiting, and retrosternal burning (gastric reflux) in humans. (Sounds like a rough way to go!) There is no antidote.

In Texas, aluminum phosphide can only be used when a certified applicator is on the premises. It’s typically left in the silo for several days (the exact time depends on the ambient temperatures), then it must be vented for at least 48 hours before the treated grains are fed. In this case series, about 400 pounds of grain in the silo was treated about 14 hours before it was fed to 66 horses, with no venting period

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Written by:

Christy West has a BS in Equine Science from the University of Kentucky, and an MS in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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