Risk Assessment of an Acetaminophen Baiting Program for Chemical Control of Brown Tree Snakes on Guam:  Evaluation of Baits, Snake Residues, and Potential Primary and Secondary Hazards

• Published in: Environmental science & technology 2002-09, Vol.36 (17), p.3827-3833
• Main Authors: Johnston, J. J, Savarie, P. J, Primus, T. M, Eisemann, J. D, Hurley, J. C, Kohler, D. J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetaminophen - administration & dosage; Acetaminophen - pharmacokinetics; Acetaminophen - toxicity; Analgesics; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Animals, Wild; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Colubridae - metabolism; Colubridae - physiology; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Guam; Islands; Mice; Nonnative species; Pest Control - methods; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Risk Assessment; Rodenticides - administration & dosage; Rodenticides - pharmacokinetics; Rodenticides - toxicity; Rodents; Snakes; Terrestrial environment, soil, air; Vertebrates; Wildlife management
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es015873n

The brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) is a significant ecological, agricultural, and economic pest on Guam. Acetaminophen has recently been identified as a promising snake toxicant. Subsequent experimentation has shown that acetaminophen−mouse baits are readily consumed by and acutely toxic to brown tree snakes. Before implementing an island-wide acetaminophen−mouse baiting program for the reduction of brown tree snake populations, the potential risks to nontarget wildlife must be evaluated. Quantification of nontarget hazards by comparing potential exposure levels to toxicity values suggested a significant level of concern for rodents, cats, pigs, and birds. For these species, subsequent calculations and field and laboratory experi ments, which quantified acetaminophen consumption under field conditions, indicated that acetaminophen consumption was minimal. These results indicate that the advantages of using acetaminophen to reduce brown tree snake populations on Guam outweigh the minimal risks to nontarget feral and wildlife species.