Alternative domestic rodent pest management approaches to address the hazardous use of metal phosphides in low- and middle-income countries

Abstract

Metal phosphides, particularly aluminium phosphide (AlP) and zinc phosphide (Zn₃P₂), are widely used in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as rodenticides in urban and domestic environments due to their low cost and high toxicity to rodent pests. However, they are also highly toxic to humans with no antidote available and have been associated with numerous fatal cases of intentional and accidental poisoning. This paper reviews alternatives to metal phosphide use for rodent pest management in urban and domestic environments, highlights case studies of effective alternative approaches, and provides recommendations for research and policy. This review identifies numerous alternative methods available for managing rodent pests in domestic/urban settings that can replace metal phosphides. These include chemical methods, i.e. rodenticides, and non-chemical methods, e.g. rodent-proofing, sanitation and trapping. However, because the majority of chemical rodenticides qualify as highly hazardous pesticides due to acute human health toxicity, environmental toxicity, and/or bioaccumulation, simply selecting substitute chemical rodenticides to replace metal phosphides are likely to replace one set of hazards with others. Thus, careful risk and hazard assessments are needed when considering substituting with other chemicals. Overall, we need to move away from current levels of rodenticide reliance towards more integrated and ecologically based approaches.