Uptake and Persistence of the Vertebrate Pesticide, Sodium Monofluoroacetate (Compound 1080), in Plants of Cultural Importance

Field research was undertaken to determine if naturally occurring plants utilised by a Maori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) community for food and medicine would take up the toxin sodium monofluoroacetate (Compound 1080) from baits used to control the brush-tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecul...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecotoxicology (London) 2006-02, Vol.15 (1), p.1-7
Main Authors: Ogilvie, Shaun C, Ataria, James M, Waiwai, James, Doherty, James E, Lambert, Michelle, Lambert, Neuton, King, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Asplenium
Asplenium bulbiferum (G. Forster)
Baits
Compound 1080
Coprosma
Coprosma robusta (Raoul)
culturally important plants
ecotoxicology
Environmental Monitoring
Ferns - chemistry
Ferns - metabolism
Fluoroacetates - analysis
Food Contamination
Humans
Indigenous peoples
Maori
New Zealand
Pesticides
Risk Assessment
Rodenticides - analysis
Rubiaceae - chemistry
Rubiaceae - metabolism
Sodium
sodium monofluoroacetate
Soil Pollutants - analysis
Toxins
Trichosurus vulpecula
vertebrate pesticides
Vertebrates
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Summary:Field research was undertaken to determine if naturally occurring plants utilised by a Maori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) community for food and medicine would take up the toxin sodium monofluoroacetate (Compound 1080) from baits used to control the brush-tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula. Single baits were placed at the base of individual plants of two species, pikopiko (Asplenium bulbiferum) and karamuramu (Coprosma robusta). Plants were sampled at various times up to 56 days, and samples analyzed for 1080 content. No 1080 was detected in any of the pikopiko samples, whereas 1080 was detected in karamuramu, at a maximum concentration of 5 ppb after 7 days, and 2.5 ppb after 14 days. This concentration decreased to zero at 28 days, indicating that while karamuramu was shown to take up 1080, it was not persistent. The results of this study suggest there is negligible risk of humans being poisoned by consuming plants that have taken up 1080 from baits. To allay community concerns that minute concentrations of 1080 might influence the medicinal properties of plants, it is suggested a withholding period of 30 days after 1080 control operations could be adopted.
ISSN:0963-9292
1573-3017
DOI:10.1007/s10646-005-0039-z