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Physiological effects of red phosphorus smoke inhalation on prairie dogs and rock doves
Author(s) -
Johns Brad E.,
Thompson R. D.,
Crane Kenneth A.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620110915
Subject(s) - cynomys ludovicianus , phosphorus , smoke , smoke inhalation , zoology , methemoglobin , hemoglobin , toxicology , respiratory system , chemistry , environmental chemistry , biology , ecology , medicine , prairie dog , organic chemistry
Pulmonary function, blood chemistry, and hematology studies were conducted with prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) and rock doves ( Columba livia ) under resting conditions to assess environmental risk of exposing wildlife species to multiple applications of red phosphorus/butyl rubber smoke (0.0, 1.0, and 4.0 mg/L). Four daily 80‐min smoke exposures had no significant physiological effect on prairie dogs. However, with rock doves, two daily 80‐min smoke exposures resulted in elevated respiratory frequency in two males followed by death, a significant concentration × day effect on carbon dioxide production, respiratory exchange ratio, metabolic rate, lymphocytes, and heterophiles, and a significant sex × concentration effect on hemoglobin and methemoglobin. Although results showed that rock doves are more vulnerable to red phosphorus/butyl rubber smoke than prairie dogs, it appears that exposure to the smoke is unlikely to pose a significant risk to either species under field conditions.