Pesticides are extensively used for the control of crop pests in agriculture and forestry. Organophosphate (OP) and carbamate pesticides are especially effective for the control of a variety of harmful insects. However, these cholinesterase inhibitors are also dangerous to non-target organisms (wildlife and other animals) because of their high acute toxicity. Most poisonings by pesticides occur as a result of misuse or accidental exposure, but intentional killing of unwanted animals also occurs. At the request of a local autonomous entity, we investigated wild bird poisonings by pesticides from 2003 to 2007. The 207 suspicious samples of pesticide poisoning based on the necropsy were analyzed by GC/NPD, GC/FPD, or GC/MSD. We looked for trends in the identification of pesticides in wild birds thought to have died from poisoning. Pesticides were determined in 59% of the total samples analyzed. Phosphamidon and monochrotophos were the most common pesticides identified, which amounted to 77% of the subtotal. Other OP and carbamate pesticides were also found in various concentrations from dead wild birds. The determined rates of pesticides were as high as 86% and 76% in 2003 and 2006, respectively, during an outbreak of avian influenza in Korea.

Pesticides are useful to eliminate harmful insects and grow crops however, misuse and abuse of pesticides may cause a death of wild birds, livestock, and companion animals. We analyzed residual pesticides in the ingesta and tissues from the dead wild birds, livestock, and companion animals which were suspected pesticide poisoning based on the diagnosis of the Animal Disease Diagnostic Center of National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS). The samples were primarily brought to NVRQS from local communities and veterinary diagnostic laboratories. The 231 suspicious samples of pesticide poisoning based on the necropsy were analyzed by GC/NPD, GC/FPD, GC/ECD, or GC/MSD in 2008 and 2009. Pesticides were identified from the 55 samples of total 143 samples analyzed in 2008 and from the 34 samples of total 88 samples analyzed in 2009. The pesticide identification rates in 2008 were higher than the rates in 2009. It may have relevance to the increased samples with the outbreak of avian influenza in 2008 in Korea. The concentrations of pesticides found in the dead animals varied and exceeded the respective LD∧50 of pesticides in many cases. Monochrotophos, phosphamidon, and methomyl were the most common pesticides found and those pesticides are high rank sales in Korea. The cause of pesticide poisoning in animal is assuming a misuse and an abuse of commonly used pesticides in Korea.