%0 Journal Article
%T An update on toxicology of aluminum phosphide
%A Ali Moghadamnia
%J DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/2008-2231-20-25
%X Aluminum phosphide (AlP) is a solid fumigant which has been extensively used since the 1940s. It is easily available and is purchased in some countries such as India under trade names e.g. Celphos, Quickphos, Synfume and Phosfume [1]. It has been registered in the USA and many other countries for the indoor fumigation of agricultural compounds, animal feeds, processed foods and also structural as well as outdoor pest control. In Iran it is known as the rice tablet [2] that can be purchased in local shops.AlP is a solid pesticide that rapidly became one of the most commonly used grain fumigants because of its properties which are considered to be near ideal; it is toxic to all stages of insects, highly potent, does not affect seed viability, is free from toxic residues and leaves little residue on food grains [3]. This highly toxic chemical is cheap and usually formulated in tablets or pellets, granules and as a dust. Upon contact with moisture in the environment, it undergoes a chemical reaction yielding phosphine gas, which is the active pesticidal component [4]. It emerges as a poison of suicidal deaths as this pesticide has no effective antidote and is freely available in the market [5].AlP poisoning is a common mode of suicide in the agricultural community in northern India [6]. It has currently aroused interest with increasing number of cases in the past four decades due to increased use in agricultural and non-agricultural purpose, and also its easy availability has increased its misuse to commit suicide [7,8]. Unfortunately, it is rapidly becoming a very commonly used agent for self-poisoning in Iran [2,9-11].It is available as tablets (3£żg, trade names: Phostoxin, Bhostoxin, Quickphos Phosphume Phostek) releasing 1£żg PH3 or as pellets (0.6£żg, Quickphos, Alphos, Cellphos). The tablets are green, brown or gray, and each tablet contains 56% AlP and 44% aluminum carbonate.The toxic effects of the AlP are due to deadly phosphine gas liberated when it reacts with
%K Aluminum phosphide
%K Phosphine
%K Management
%K Poisoning
%K Suicide
%U http://www.darujps.com/content/20/1/25