Powdered Corn Cob (PCC) is marketed as a natural and environmentally-friendly alternative to anticoagulant

rodenticide Rodenticides are chemicals made and sold for the purpose of killing rodents. While commonly referred to as "rat poison", rodenticides are also used to kill mice, squirrels, woodchucks, chipmunks, porcupines, nutria, beavers, and voles. Despi ...

. The preparation was approved in July 2013 under the European Biocide Directive Program (Annex 1/1A BPD 98/8EEC) . It works by causing acute and ultimately lethal dehydration.

History

Formulated and manufactured by Zea Sciences over 15 years, PCC was granted EU under the European Biocide Directive Program, known as Annex 1/1A BPD 98/8EEC, in July 2013. The patent covers the principle of using any suitable natural dehydrant to kill rodents.

Effect

Similar to other rodenticides, the preparation requires 3–7 days to be effective. Rather than killing rodents through internal haemorrhaging as anticoagulants do, PCC affects a rodent’s digestive system, causing acute dehydration due to its extremely absorptive nature (corn cob has been used in applications such as oil spills in water bodies, seed drying and de-icing). Physiological digestive pathways are disrupted, preventing normal regulation of water and salt levels, leading to

hypovolemic Hypovolemia, also known as volume depletion or volume contraction, is a state of abnormally low extracellular fluid in the body. This may be due to either a loss of both salt and water or a decrease in blood volume. Hypovolemia refers to the loss ...

circulatory shock Shock is the state of insufficient blood flow to the Tissue (biology), tissues of the body as a result of problems with the circulatory system. Initial symptoms of shock may include weakness, fast heart rate, fast breathing, sweating, anxiety, a ...

through reduced blood volume and blood pressure, oxygen deprivation of the blood, and ultimately death. It is by nature biodegradable, thus not an environmental pollutant. It poses no risk of contamination to crops, nor to the food chain. There is little threat of toxicity to children, pets, livestock or birds—including through

secondary poisoning Secondary poisoning, or relay toxicity, is the poisoning that results when one organism comes into contact with or ingests another organism that has poison in its system. It typically occurs when a predator eats an animal, such as a mouse, rat, o ...

References

{{reflist Rodenticides

Corn cob A corncob, also called corn cob, cob of corn or corn on the cob, is the central core of an ear of corn (also known as maize). It is the part of the ear on which the kernels grow. The ear is also considered a "cob" or "pole" but it is not full ...