Investigation of Acute Toxicity Effect of Zink Phosphide in Male Albino rat

Abstract

Zink phosphide was used as rodenticide since more than one hundred year. Acute toxicity occurs through ingestion where converted to phosphine gas and passes to the blood stream through digestive tract and attracted by the lung and the liver where inducing various toxic effects by phosphine gas. There is no specific antidote and mortality rate from toxicity reach to 100 %. The aim of our present study was to investigate the effect of acute toxicity of zinc phosphide on biochemical and haematological changes in male albino rats. Results showed that zinc phosphide was found to induce damage in liver, lung, and kidney by significant increase in zinc and phosphorous in these tissues and significant increase in serum of phosphorous, zinc, chloride, sodium(Na), potassium (K), urea, red blood cells (RBC), and platelets. Whereas a significant decrease in white blood cells (WBC), haemoglobin (Hb), and haematocrit (HCT). In conclusion, acute toxicity of zinc phosphide causes haemolytic anaemia through early haemolysis and alteration in kidney, liver, and lung.

Keywords: Zink phosphide, acute toxicity, haematological studies, biochemical finding.