Impact of temperature and relative humidity on sulfuryl fluoride fumigation against rats

Objective To determine the impact of temperature and relative humidity on sulfuryl fluoride fumigation against rats. Methods The study was conducted in a simulated fumigation container in order to determine the impact of temperature, humidity and sulfuryl fluoride doses on the fumigation against rats. Results Univariate analysis showed that sulfuryl fluoride efficacy was affected by dose and temperature. As the dose increased from 0.750 g/m3 to 0.892 g/m3, the mortality of rat increased from 30% to 70%. There was no significant difference in the mortality among different humidity groups (25%-85%). Multivariate analysis revealed that relative humidity and dose were correlated with the mortality. The quadratic regression equation with the mortality rate of mice as the dependent variable, and temperature and humidity as the other variables was: P=-0.008 39H+1.036 77D. Conclusion The fumigation dosage of sulfuryl fluoride should be adjusted based on humidity and temperature.