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Toxicity reference values for chlorophacinone and their application for assessing anticoagulant rodenticide risk to raptors

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Abstract

Despite widespread use and benefit, there are growing concerns regarding hazards of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides to non-target wildlife which may result in expanded use of first-generation compounds, including chlorophacinone (CPN). The toxicity of CPN over a 7-day exposure period was investigated in American kestrels (Falco sparverius) fed either rat tissue mechanically-amended with CPN, tissue from rats fed Rozol® bait (biologically-incorporated CPN), or control diets (tissue from untreated rats or commercial bird of prey diet) ad libitum. Nominal CPN concentrations in the formulated diets were 0.15, 0.75 and 1.5 µg/g food wet weight, and measured concentrations averaged 94 % of target values. Kestrel food consumption was similar among groups and body weight varied by less than 6 %. Overt signs of intoxication, liver CPN residues, and changes in prothrombin time (PT), Russell’s viper venom time (RVVT) and hematocrit, were generally dose-dependent. Histological evidence of hemorrhage was present at all CPN dose levels, and most frequently observed in pectoral muscle and heart. There were no apparent differences in toxicity between mechanically-amended and biologically-incorporated CPN diet formulations. Dietary-based toxicity reference values at which clotting times were prolonged in 50 % of the kestrels were 79.2 µg CPN consumed/kg body weight-day for PT and 39.1 µg/kg body weight-day for RVVT. Based upon daily food consumption of kestrels and previously reported CPN concentrations found in small mammals following field baiting trials, these toxicity reference values might be exceeded by free-ranging raptors consuming such exposed prey. Tissue-based toxicity reference values for coagulopathy in 50 % of exposed birds were 0.107 µg CPN/g liver wet weight for PT and 0.076 µg/g liver for RVVT, and are below the range of residue levels reported in raptor mortality incidents attributed to CPN exposure. Sublethal responses associated with exposure to environmentally realistic concentrations of CPN could compromise survival of free-ranging raptors, and should be considered in weighing the costs and benefits of anticoagulant rodenticide use in pest control and eradication programs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge W.C. Bauer, D.A. Goldade, J. Green, P.F.P. Henry, C.S. Hulse, N.K. Karouna-Renier, M.M. Maxey, and D.T. Sprague for assistance with the conduct of this study, and thank N.B. Vyas for reviewing a draft of this manuscript. A preliminary report describing dietary-based toxicity reference values for chlorophacinone was presented at the 26th Vertebrate Pest Conference and is described in the proceedings of that meeting. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey and a grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture Vertebrate Pest Control Research Advisory Committee (agreement 11-0430-SA). Any use of trade, product or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, BARC East-Building 308, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA

    Barnett A. Rattner, Rebecca S. Lazarus & Sandra L. Schultz

  2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA

    Katherine E. Horak, Benjamin G. Abbo & Steven F. Volker

  3. U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, 53711, USA

    Susan Knowles

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  1. Barnett A. Rattner
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Correspondence to Barnett A. Rattner.

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Rattner, B.A., Horak, K.E., Lazarus, R.S. et al. Toxicity reference values for chlorophacinone and their application for assessing anticoagulant rodenticide risk to raptors. Ecotoxicology 24, 720–734 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-015-1418-8

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