Independent scientific reviews

and official documents on 1080

Does 1080 persist in the environment? – Read the Science

1080 breakdown rates can be very slow and in some places 1080 may persist indefinitely

date	authors	source	name	quote
1997	Eason, C.T.	Australasian Journal of Ecotoxicology 3: 57-64	Sodium Monofluoracetate Toxicology in relation to its use in New Zealand	“In less favourable conditions, breakdown might take several weeks, and in extreme cold and drought, 1080 residues might persist in baits or in the soil for several months.”
2007	ERMA Agency Appendix C	P 367	Environmental Risk Management Authority Reassessment of 1080	“under sterile [soil] conditions, 1080 is stable”
2007	ERMA Agency Appendix C	P 352	Environmental Risk Management Authority Reassessment of 1080	“1080 is stable to hydrolysis in the absence of microorganisms”
2007	ERMA Agency Appendix C: Fisk Report	P 435	Environmental Risk Management Authority Reassessment of 1080	“the very low concentrations of 1080 which may occur in the environment may be too low to favour microbial degradation or induce the necessary enzyme systems.” [from Auckland Regional Council Report]
2007	ERMA Applicant’s References	P 109	Environmental Risk Management Authority Reassessment of 1080	“Looking for microorganisms that degrade 1080 in 8 soil and 8 water samples. Three soils and 2 water samples did contain the required bacteria” (Lloyd Jones et al., 1994, Landcare Research Contract Report)
2007	ERMA Agency Appendix C: Fisk Report	P 441	Environmental Risk Management Authority Reassessment of 1080	“Soil pH, moisture and temperature has marked effects on the rate of 1080 decomposition, with high temperature, low moisture and acidic pH all being deleterious”
2013	Fisher, P.	Landcare Research Envirolink Advice Grant 1250-MLDC82	Non-target risks of using 1080 and pindone for rabbit control.	“Carrot bait in the field can rapidly dehydrate in dry, hot conditions. This will incidentally increase the weight : weight toxic concentration…Chopped carrot may also blacken and shrivel in frosty conditions, and it is not known how this might affect the 1080 concentration.”
2007	Applicant’s References	P 19	Environmental Risk Management Authority Reassessment of 1080	“Carrot baits were highly water-resistant and showed no decline in 1080..after 200 mm of rain. It is..inadvisable to use carrot bait in arid areas” (Bowen et al., 1995)
2007	ERMA Agency Appendix C: Fisk Report	P 450	Environmental Risk Management Authority Reassessment of 1080	“there might be problems with persistence [in soil] in very hot dry areas”
2007	ERMA Applicant’s References	P 154	Environmental Risk Management Authority Reassessment of 1080	“…if any 1080 is not degraded because of low biological activity (e.g. at low temperature) it will be diluted by soil water and streamwater to very low concentrations” (Parfitt et al., 1994)
2007	ERMA Committee Decision	P 119	Recommended further research	“The applicability of the existing aquatic degradation data on 1080 to the New Zealand forest was identified in the E&R Report as being limited. The presence of significant amounts of aquatic plant material limit the relevance to water bodies where 1080 is applied and significant aquatic plant growth is not likely due to low light and high water velocity”
2014	Northcott, G., Jensen, D., Ying, L. & Fisher, P.	Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 33(5): 1048-1058	Degradation Rate of Sodium Fluoroacetate in Three New Zealand Soils	“The transformation half-life (DT50) of SFA in the 3 soils increased with decreasing temperature, varying from 6 d to 8 d at 20 ^OC, 10 d to 21 d at 10 ^OC, and 22 d to 43 d at 5^O C…In some soil types, soil moisture content may also influence the rate of SFA degradation, with overall rates being slower under drier and colder conditions.”
2013	Eason, C., Ross, J., Miller, A.	New Zealand Journal of Zoology 40: 217-225	Secondary poisoning risks from 1080-poisoned carcasses and risk of trophic transfer- a review.	” Ross & McCoskery (2012) compared the persistence of 1080 in [fatally poisoned] sika deer…1080 was shown to persist in deer bone marrow for 213 days, but it could be longer…It would be of value to repeat the bone marrow trial in poisoned possums to enable risks to dogs from 1080-poisoned possum bone marrow, and the full extent of 1080 persistence in bone marrow, to be clarified.”
1978	Batcheler, C.L.	NZ Forest Service – Report to Minister of Fisheries and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries	Compound 1080. Its properties, effectiveness, dangers, and use	“Those protected from rain beneath logs, gorse, etc., (J.A. Peters pers. comm..) or those frozen into a snow pack, may retain their original toxicity for several weeks or longer until they become sufficiently warm and moist for leaching and decay to occur.”
2015	Elliot, G.	Department of Conservation unpublished report	Rock Wren and 1080 in Kahurangi National Park	“The 1080 was spread a few days before a significant snowfall…1080 pellets become non-toxic when water washes the poison out of the baits and when snow falls on them they will presumably become non-toxic only when snow melts. They might however might stay toxic for a long time under snow that doesn’t melt. Furthermore it seems likely that rock wrens wouldn’t be terribly enthusiastic about eating 1080 pellets, but if the pellets persisted for a long time and if they were eaten by invertebrates then rock wrens might eventually be poisoned either by eating baits or poisoned invertebrates.”