Ingredients of Rat Poison
Rat poison is used to kill a variety of vermin that infest homes, buildings, gardens and other locales. There are a number of ingredients of rat poison, some of which cause death within a short period of time while others require a more prolonged exposure to the toxin. There are ingredients that are more harmful to human beings than others.
Metal Phosphides
Four types of metal phosphides are common ingredients in rat poison. These are aluminum, calcium, magnesium and zinc phosphide. These ingredients are relatively fast-acting, with death normally occurring within a period of one to three days after a single dose.
Anticoagulants
Anticoagulants are another common ingredient in rat poison. Included among the anticoagulants used as ingredients in rat poison are hydroxycoumarins and indandiones. These chemicals block the absorption of vitamin K in the body. The net effect of this process is to inhibit the production of necessary blood clotting factors in the bloodstream. Death occurs after steady ingestion of these elements over the course of a week or even longer.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D, D1 and D2 are used as ingredients in rat poison. In small doses, these vitamins are beneficial to human beings. However, even small amounts cause death in rats. Death occurs through what is known as hypervitaminosis or vitamin poisoning. A large dose of one or another of these types of vitamin D is necessary to cause harm to a human being. A dose of vitamin D, D1 or D2 causes death in a rat within about 36 hours.
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