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Sheep show partial avoidance of water contaminated with white phosphorus

Abstract White phosphorus (WP) is a contaminant found in many military training areas. Animals may ingest WP through drinking contaminated water, and knowledge of behaviour towards WP is important for developing risk assessment models. The aim of this study was to investigate if WP contamination affects drinking in sheep. Six sheep were given free choice between clean and contaminated water; quantities consumed were registered for three consecutive days (two 1.5 hour sessions/day). On average sheep drank more clean (473.1 g) than contaminated (210.8 g) water per session. This avoidance implies reduced risk of sheep being poisoned on military ranges. However, the danger of animals consuming suspended particles means the risk may be reduced less than the >50% reduction in drinking might otherwise imply.