Phosphine and Phosphides
Phosphine is a colorless gas that is heavier than air. It is odorless in its pure form, but impurities give it a characteristic fishy or garlic-like odor. It has been used for fumigation, and it is a serious potential hazard in operations producing metal phosphides, in which phosphine can be released in the chemical reaction of water and metal alloys. Workers at risk include metal refiners, acetylene workers, firefighters, pest control operators, and those in the semiconductor industry. Magnesium phosphide and aluminum phosphide are available in pellets or tablets and are used as fumigants and rodenticides. Zinc phosphide is a crystalline, dark gray powder mixed into food as rodent bait. Phosphides are a leading cause of fatal suicides and accidental ingestions in India and many developing countries.
Mechanism of toxicity. Phosphine is a highly toxic gas, especially to the lungs, brain, kidneys, heart, and liver. The pathophysiologic action of phosphine is not clearly understood but may be related to inhibition of electron transport in mitochondria. Phosphides liberate phosphine gas upon contact with moisture, and this reaction is enhanced in the acidity of the stomach. Phosphine is then absorbed through the GI and respiratory tracts.
Toxic dose
Phosphine gas.
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